SND Region 4

Welcome to Region 4, JB!

2007-11-02T00:15:00.000-06:00

The Region 4 Blog goes way, way, way back with Jonathon Berlin. As just a newborn at The Times of Northwest Indiana, we met JB, who quickly rose through the ranks before following behind Matt Mansfield to the then-rising superstar San Jose Mercury News.

It's been quite a while since JB left Region 4 for Region 8. But after two stints at the Merc, with a run at the Rocky Mountain News on his home turf in Denver sandwiched in between, he's back in the Midwest.

On Monday, JB began his next adventure -- Design Director at the Chicago Tribune. The Region 4 Blog happened to be in the city and caught up with JB and some of his new colleagues after he finished his Day One orientation.

Enjoy the video, and welcome to Region 4, Jonathon!

Chip Kidd: And we're off and runnin'

2007-10-12T11:35:00.000-06:00

How can you beat this start to the SND Boston workshop?

The Region 4 Blog was up in what we're calling the "Luxury Skybox" in the Imperial Ballroom for the first session -- "You CAN Judge a Book By Its Cover" with world-renowned book jacket designer Chip Kidd from Alfred A. Knopf publishing.

To put it really simply, Chip Kidd is the Michael Jordan of his field. The Babe Ruth. The Tiger Woods. The Hulk Hogan.

To put it the way the kids say these days, "He's the shiz-nit."

And guess what? Dude's a freaking riot.

Read more about Chip's insanely awesome session at the SND Update Blog, and then stay tuned for my exclusive Q&A with the mad genius that is Chip Kidd.

Congrats to Allisence Chang!

2007-10-12T11:05:00.000-06:00

Congrats to Allisence Chang of Michigan State! She's going to the Poynter Institute next year after winning the spot during Thursday's student session!

Woo-hoo Region 4! Woo-hoo Allisence!

Felt is like off the hook

2007-10-11T18:58:00.000-06:00

The opening reception at the posh Felt club is crowded but sweet.

Overheard at the club, and no, we're not kidding:

"Steve Dorsey f***ing RULZ!"

We can't make this up.

Region 4 Intern candidates get by with a little help from their friends

2007-10-11T09:33:00.000-06:00

Region 4 Intern finalists, from left, Bridget O'Donnell, Adrienne Dye, Nicole Davis, Amy Duncan, Allisence Chang and Stephanie Yiu at M.J. O'Connor's in Boston.

At M.J. O'Connor's, which is quickly becoming the watering hole of choice here at SND Boston, the six Intern finalists from Region 4 tracked down your friendly neighborhood Region 4 Director and wanted a picture of them all together.

So we couldn't help but be blunt and just ask: "OK, so you're all friendly right now, but when it comes to this Intern competition, you all really secretly hate each other, right???"

And much to our surprise, we learned that they've all become fast friends, especially the chicas from Region 4.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. When I go to the workshop and judging every year, the most inspiring parts are usually meeting the college students that are just crazy enough to want to get into this whole gig. Their enthusiasm is absolutely contagious. Hopefully I'm not the only one that caught it.

The Intern candidates will find out Saturday, with the rest of us, who will get those five stellar internships for next summer. When we find out, you will too!

Don't forget to check in over at snd.org/update for some phenomenal and unprecedented levels of blogging from here in Boston.

From the 'overheard' file

2007-10-10T22:59:00.000-06:00

Overheard at O'Connor's on Wednesday night from an ambitious and enterprising young visual journalist:

"Excuse me man. I've gotta get some face time with Steve Dorsey."

Pausing for Pablo

2007-10-10T17:16:00.000-06:00

Gotta take a quick timeout from out here in Boston to say congratulations to two Region 4 SND members and good friends of the Region 4 Blog at The Times of Northwest Indiana.

Karin and Matt Saltanovitz, both SND members and SND award winners, are proud parents of Pablo Joseph, a brand new 9-pound, 21-inch baby boy. It's not known yet if PJ will become a designer, but the odds are good -- Karin is the features design team leader at The Times and Matt designs the biz section as assistant business editor.

Congrats to the proud parents!

2007-10-10T12:10:00.000-06:00

So, in case you missed it last year, SND did this really fantastic competition for college students called "The Intern." And Region 4 was lucky enough to bring home the champ, Carrie Hoover from Michigan State.

Well, this year's Intern finalists were announced a couple of months ago ... and the Region 4 Blog didn't realize until just a few days ago that ...

HOLY CRAP, REGION 4 IS TEARING IT UP IN THE INTERN!!!

Region 4 has SIX of the 10 finalists. SIX! You know what that means? Someone from Region 4 is guaranteed to win one of those five coveted spots at one of these amazing papers: The New York Times, the Hartford Courant, the Boston Globe, the Virginian-Pilot and the Dallas Morning News.

Our Region 4 finalists are:

• Allisence Chang, Michigan State
• Nicole Davis, Ohio University
• Amy Duncan, Ball State
• Adrienne Dye, Indiana
• Bridget O'Donnell, Michigan
• Stephanie Yiu, Northwestern

So congrats, officially, from all of us in Region 4 on being named finalists. And keep up the great and hard work this weekend -- good luck to all of you!

Coming to Boston? You do NOT wanna miss this!

2007-10-10T09:20:00.000-06:00

So, you're coming to Boston. And you'll be at the sessions and you'll go out with old friends and new afterward, and you'll go to the banquet ... and then you'll go back to your room and crash, right?

Don't. EVEN. THINK. ABOUT THAT.

You WILL want to be at a very special preview for next year's SNDVegas workshop -- the SNDVegas After Party, which benefits the SND Foundation.

What's in it for you?

• Your $20 entry ticket gets you: ONE FREE DRINK! TWO FREE RAFFLE TICKETS! $1,000 IN CASINO CHIPS FOR THE CASINO NIGHT! A FREAKIN' LOUNGE SINGER!

• So what can you win? How 'bout a vacation package to next year's site, the insanely cool Red Rock Resort?!? How 'bout a registration for next year?!? How 'bout a freakin' iPhone?!? SERIOUSLY! How 'bout an iPod Touch?!? iTunes gift cards, memorabilia, and custom screenprinted SNDVegas preview posters for next year, signed and numbered by the artists at Mile 44, left!

• And what's better, this event is 100 percent a fundraiser for the SND Foundation, which helps students attend things like the workshop and Quick Courses. It's a fantastic opportunity to help out those up-and-comers who are just like us -- crazy enough to wanna do this for a living!

So if you're here, you have GOT to be there. Want more information? Track me down. I'll convince ya!

Hangin' with the Board

2007-10-10T09:13:00.000-06:00

So today's agenda for the Region 4 Blog is the SND Board of Directors meeting. As you guys all should know, as the Region 4 Director, I'm your representative on the Board of Directors.

What does that mean for you? It means if you have suggestions for how the Society can better serve you, you should tell me so I can pass that on to the Board. It means you should use me and abuse me -- I'm glad to pass all of your suggestions on at any time, but especially today. And I will be passing a few things on when I speak later.

So please -- get in touch at matterickson23@gmail.com if you have suggestions and your voice will be heard!

More later ...

Where everybody knows your name

2007-10-09T18:54:00.000-06:00

So we're here. And straight away, we find Region 4 legends Steve Dorsey and Kenney Marlatt in the lobby, plus Region 3 supastahhh Denise Reagan.

We lunched at the same place we lunched at in March for the board meeting: O'Connor's. Eating the same fish and chips, drinking the same screwdriver. Well, that's just Region 4. The normal people here in Boston drink beer.

Good times. Good times.

And the workshop is officially underway.

We then proceeded to go hat shopping with SND secretary/treasurer Matt Mansfield. Region 4 purchased a Ted Williams throwback Red Sawwks jersey and a new beanie. 'Cause, ya know, we were hat shopping.

And then we just happened to stumble across a nice little Mexican place for a few pitchers of margaritas -- but hey, it was a business meeting for the SND publications. And once again, Region 4 had ... a screwdriver.

More later ... wish you were here. Will you be? Shoot us an e-mail and let us know!

20 minutes early!

2007-10-09T10:02:00.000-06:00

To quote the great Chevy Chase in "Vacation," when Ellen tells him to slow down: "I don't know why. We're makin' good time."

And that is what we did. 20 minutes early into Boston. And I have time for a post while the other 150 passengers deplane, including the three young ladies in Chicago Marathon shirts who look mighty sore after Sunday's race.

We'll check back in soon. Thanks for riding along!

Ahhhh, Midway

2007-10-09T08:10:00.000-06:00

The Region 4 Blog was glad to see Midway Airport in Chicago has made some upgrades since we were last here.

A House of Blues mini store? That got us thinking about that raucous gathering at Downtown Disney last year. And the McDonald's at Gate A7? Stellar as always, though my steak, egg and cheese bagel wasn't quite the medium-well I asked for.

It's also cool to see tons of Red Sox fans heading out to Bahhstun with me. I'm fitting right in with my St. Patrick's Day Sawwks hat on.

We'll check in later; hopefully you'll join in. Coming to the workshop? We'll post some tips for getting to the Park Plaza quickly and easily. And don't forget to check in with all the happenings at THE Blog for the workshop, www.snd.org/update

Ready for takeoff

2007-10-09T07:48:00.000-06:00

On board in seat 29F and ready for liftoff. F stands for Full Flight, by the way. Nice and cramped. But what should I expect for $112 round trip?!? See y'all in Boston!

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go

2007-10-09T06:23:00.000-06:00

That's right, folks. The Region 4 Blog is leavin' on a jet plane. Don't know when I'll be back again. Literally.

See, I'm on my way to Boston for the annual SND workshop, but my return flight is currently slated for Oct. 23. Region 4 Wife and I planned a long New England driving vacation back in the spring when I bought my airfare. Then we had to cancel. And yours truly never did change his return flight.

Maybe I should just stay for the Red Sox's run to the World Series.

That's just one of the things I'm stoked about in Beantown. The sessions lined up by Dan Zedek and the Globe team are outstanding -- including a certain MattE making his SND workshop speaking debut. And, of course, the chance to regroup with great friends and make new ones is the best part for me.

And I've finally arrived in the Internet Age -- I'm blogging on the bus to Midway from my new Blackberry and will continue throughout the trip!

So stay tuned. But don't tell anyone. It's a secret.

Try putting these in your bicycle spokes

2007-10-04T21:31:00.001-06:00

Our good friends at the Chicago Tribune have just posted a really well-done project online now that the Cubs are in the playoffs.

Head on over to ChicagoTribune.com to take a look at a fantastically fun series of online baseball cards for the North Siders.

All your favorite Cubbies are represented, including the Region 4 Blog's personal favorite and good buddy Kerry Wood, above.

The Trib's Steve Cavendish reports that the cards were designed by graphics whiz Steve Layton and those gorgeous illustrations on the back, reminiscent of classic Topps ballcards of old, were done by Rick Tuma. Cavendish also says if the Cubs make it to the World Series, we might just get a version that will appear in the paper -- so stay tuned!

Ball State flies the friendly skies

2007-09-13T05:43:00.000-06:00

So, the Region 4 Blog hopped on an American Airlines flight to San Diego last week for a little fun in the sun and a little work covering the Bears-Chargers season opener.

One of our favorite parts of flying American is the American Way in-flight magazine, which we've always found surprisingly well-designed and well-organized given that it's an in-flight mag.

This time around, surrounded by Bears fans, we were flipping through and literally yelled out, "Holy s***!!!," forgetting where we were and startling a couple of dozen passengers nearby.

Why the outburst? A photo caught our eye. First, we were drawn to the newspapers on the wall in the photo -- Ball State University's renowned Daily News. Then we realized that the woman posing in front of the papers was none other than our good buddy Jennifer George-Palilonis, the head of the journalism-graphics sequence at BSU (photo above).

George-Palilonis, whose newspaper credits include stints at Region 4 powerhouses like the Detroit Free Press and Chicago Sun-Times, was featured in the article "The New News: How television news is being transformed by a class at Ball State University -- and by the click of a mouse."

The story takes us through the innovative new methods BSU is pioneering that just might change how we watch the TV news and is for SURE worth your time by clicking the link above.

So major kudos to Jenn and the rest of the crew at Ball State for their continued push forward in all kinds of media and for their new fame with thousands of American passengers!

RedEye snags its next superstar from Region 8

2007-08-30T10:42:00.000-06:00

RedEye's latest snag, Sara Stewart

First of all ...

Miss me, Region 4? C'mon. You know you did. I've been out of the blogging loop for far too long, and I apologize for that. I got off like a bat outta H-E-double hockey sticks and then fizzled down the stretch the last few monhts. I am truly, madly, deeply sorry. And I promise we're gonna get this thing going again the right way -- with your help. Remember, I can't do it alone. I'm not beneath making up news, but it's much better if it's real news from YOU in Region Quatro.

That being said ... I have REAL and EXCITING news to report today.

The fine folks at the Chicago Tribune's RedEye tab have snagged another top talent for their staff. Sara Stewart, who was a features designer at the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson, is coming to the Midwest. Look out, Chicago!

I was lucky enough to hang with the ultra-cool Sara in Orlando last year. She was there attending with her boss, Mike Rice, who is none too thrilled over losing Sara. But hanging with Sara as part of our little crew over the weekend was one of the highlights of that workshop for me. Now Chris Courtney and the RedEye kiddies get to hang with Sara every day.

I talked to Mr. Courtney about his latest hire, and he is obviously stoked about Sara coming on board.

"Each of our recent hires have illustrated a desire to go beyond merely designing pages and Sara was no exception," Chris said. "She's a multi-talented performer and I look forward to seeing her ideas in action as we push the RedEye brand forward. That said, I have no idea of how badly Mike Rice hates me right now. (The SND judging in) Syracuse should be interesting," he said, speaking of the next time he and Mr. Rice will be in the same close quarters. With Mixed Martial Arts aficionado Greg Swanson as coordinator, we might just see Rice and Courtney squaring off in the Octagon.

Sara, too, is excited about the upcoming move.

" I’m really excited to get back to the Midwest -- it’s much closer to my family in Nebraska -- and RedEye is an amazing opportunity," Sara said. "I was a designer in suburban Chicago right out of college, and really fell in love with the city. I’ve been following RedEye since those days, and now seems like an exciting time to be part of their team. I’ve enjoyed my three years at the Daily Star and am thankful for all the wonderful opportunities I’ve had and friends I’ve made. It certainly will be hard to leave, especially once the snow comes to Chicago."

Not to be left, out, we must include the obligatory quote from Mike, even as he hides under his desk sobbing.

"While I’d love nothing more to see Sara stay in Tucson, I’m really happy that she’s leaving us for such a great job," Mike said. "I think I’m going to use it in advertising our open positions:

“Arizona Daily Star – Preparing designers for Red Eye since 1877. Approximately.”

Did I mention we have an open position?"

So congrats to Sara, congrats to RedEye and congrats to us in Region 4! We're getting another member! And Mike -- sorry, dude.

Do you have news you want to tell all of Region 4 about? Hit me up at matterickson23@gmail.com and spread the word!

Multimedia training opp at Ball State this summer

2007-06-05T05:20:00.000-06:00

The Region 4 Blog loves a good training opportunity, and our good friends Jennifer George-Palilonis and Ryan Sparrow at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., are throwing a little multimedia party.

Let me guess -- your newspaper wants to do more with its Web site and with multimedia content. Gee, what a shock. And let me take another stab in the dark -- you're feeling like you might be lagging behind in your knowledge of the tools it takes to produce such content.

Well, the folks at Ball State can help you catch up this summer with a two-day training program specializing in Adobe Flash. There's a $50 discount if you get registered before July 1 for the July 13-14 workshop. And your registration includes three meals.

Yeah, we know ... money's tight at your paper. Management won't foot the bill. We've heard it all before. But the Region 4 Blog is a big believer in investing in your own future and your own career when you have the opportunity. And there has never been a more important time to get experience and training to take your skills to the next level of multimedia journalism. It's happening with you or without you, so you might as well embrace it and get on board.

Pay a visit to Ball State's site to learn all about the program. Or you can download the 2-page PDF directly right here.

Not from the Midwest, but still looking for training opportunities a little closer to home? Well, SND has it covered with plenty of Quick Courses in the near future:

June 23, Portland: Mark Friesen, Site Chair. With speakers like Tim Harrower, Michael Whitley and Martin Gee, this promises to be a lively and engaging day of sessions.
June 23, Atlanta: Kenny Montieth and Dee Dee D'Asaro, Site Chairs. Cassie Armstrong and Charles Apple are among the dynamic speakers in Hotlanta.
Aug. 25, Fort Worth: Keeli Pointer, Site Chair.
Sept. 14, Fresno, Calif.: Andi Cooper, Site Chair. This intense program will focus on multimedia and can also be combined with Fresno's design Quick Course.
Sept. 21-22, Chapel Hill, N.C.: Don Wittekind, Site Chair. This two-day program will focus on multimedia storytelling and Flash training.
Oct. 11-13, Boston: And of course, don't forget about SND's fall workshop, hosted by Dan Zedek and the Boston Globe at the Park Plaza and Towers, a beautiful historic hotel in the heart of downtown Boston.

Don't miss Movie Monday!

2007-06-04T05:23:00.001-06:00

Hopefully by now you've all had a chance to check out some of the great newspaper movie reviews at the big Blog next door, the SND Update Blog.

Today, a Region 4 member gets into the act with a review of the Alfred Hitchcock classic "Foreign Correspondent," which was nominated for six Academy Awards in 1940, including Best Picture. Unfortunately, it lost out to another Hitchcock film -- "Rebecca."

Anyway, that Region 4 member is Bill Thornbro, graphics editor at The Times of Northwest Indiana. He's the closest thing to a classic film aficionado that we know of, so be sure to check out his review. And then check out the other reviews if you missed them -- "Shattered Glass," "Deadline - U.S.A." and ... uhhh ... "Spider-Man 3." Hey, Peter Parker works for The Daily Bugle. Whadda ya want from me?!?

Now listen, peeps. Send me some Region 4 news, will ya? It gets pretty lonely over here and I could really use some help. So shoot me an e-mail and hook me up with your news!

A new source for inspiration

2007-05-30T07:11:00.001-06:00

Get to know the Region 4 Blog a little bit, and you'll find out that we're big fans of gig posters and poster art. In particular, we're fans of the silkscreened poster genre thanks to our good friends Dave Windisch and Stacy Curtis of Mile 44.

Dave and Stacy started Mile 44 a few years back while working together at The Times of Northwest Indiana when one of the paper's stringers with his own band needed a poster for a show. The rest is history. Mile 44 has gone on to do some really major stuff in a very short amount of time. While most of their gig poster work is for Chicago venues and Chicago-area bands, they've also done some big-time banner work last year for a little festival you may have heard of -- Lollapalooza. And this year, they were chosen to be one of the featured artists for GigPosters.com's freakin' sweet playing card set.

Now, I probably should keep this under wraps. But word around the campfire is that the kids at Mile 44 are in talks to produce a limited-edition, hand-pulled silkscreen poster for SND Boston! Ya know how you go to the workshop and maybe buy a hat or a t-shirt as a souvenir to commemorate the workshop and your trip, and then you never wear them again? How cool would it be to have an original piece of poster art from the workshop that would commemorate both the host city and the event itself? And then you take that home and get it matted and framed, because you know from seeing Mile 44's work that it'll be insanely cool. The Region 4 Blog is VERY excited about that prospect and hopes dearly that what the little birdie told us comes to fruition.

Thanks to our buddies at Mile 44, we've been turned on to a lot of great poster designers over the last few years. One such group is The Decoder Ring Design Concern, DRDC for short.

DRDC's team is made up of some amazing conceptual and visual thinkers and idea guys. And if you want to tie them back in to SND, DRDC's Derrit DeRouen once worked for McGarrah Jessee Advertising, where he produced some great billboards and packaging for Shiner Bock beer -- which many of you will recall was the bebida of choice at SND Houston in 2005.

You need to check out DRDC's site to see some amazing work. But two of their projects impress us the most.

One of those was an ambitious project with the band Modest Mouse, old friends of DRDC. For each stop on Modest Mouse's 2005 tour, DRDC produced a different poster -- each one based on an interpretation of a lyric in a Modest Mouse song or a song itself. And yes, we have some favorites, including one we own for the Washington tour stop based on the song "Float On," above left. And the Chicago tour stop is based on the lyric "If you find a way out, oh would you just let me know how" from the song "Blame It On the Tetons," above right.

Another fantastic project was a poster DRDC did for The Decemberists' Austin stop on their tour supporting their critically acclaimed album "The Crane Wife." The Region 4 Blog loves newspaper products that provide reader interactivity, and this reminds us so very much of that same concept. In this poster, users could literally fold the poster into an origami crane! From DRDC's description:

Along with traditional Japanese patterning the poster features easy step-by-step instructions allowing the audience to fold the poster into a giant origami crane. Folded posters were placed in record shops, book stores, cafes and bars in the weeks prior to the concert to generate buzz for the event.

Talk about interactivity! Take a look at the full poster, a tight shot of the instructions and the folded crane version here at left.

And finally, we would be remiss if we didn't mention possibly the greatest t-shirt for publication designers ever created. Because the Region 4 Blog is a family site, we won't repeat the phrase on the shirt here. And we'll show a censored version of it. But you can fill in the blank and you can check out DRDC's site to see the uncensored version and pick one up for yourself. But the Region 4 Blog particularly finds it funny because its fledgling redesign and consulting company is called Kern Redesign.

Be sure to check out DRDC's site. Why? Because visual inspiration can come from anywhere.

Vegas, baby, Vegas!

2007-05-25T05:26:00.001-06:00

The Bellagio as seen from Flamingo Avenue on the Region 4 Blog's last trip to LV/NV. (Photo by MattE)

That's right. The Region 4 Blog is gonna do it up Region 8 style this weekend out in fabulous Las Vegas. The City of Lights. The Entertainment Capital of the World. Sin City.

What's on the agenda? Well, a little blackjack. A little nightclubbin' -- we're on the tentative guest list to see Paul Oakenfold tonight at Tao in the Venetian, and a little UFC action. That's the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The Region 4 Blog's brother Jay-Dubs is a huge fan. And the Region 4 Blog tries to act like it knows, but really has only about 1 percent of the knowledge of Jay. But did you know there are a couple of fighters from Region 4 who are quite adept at the beating up of people in an 8-sided cage? Jon Fitch of Fort Wayne, Ind., and Stephan Bonnar from Munster, Ind., home of The Times of Northwest Indiana.

So if you've got nothin' to do on Friday, hit up ESPN News in the afternoon and watch for us in the crowd at the weigh-in. And on Saturday night, if you fork out $40 for the PPV, you can watch for us in the crowd.

We'll be the ones holding up the sign that says "The Region 4 Blog could kick your blog's a** in the Octagon!

Region 4 Blog: The hits just keep on comin'

2007-05-21T05:20:00.000-06:00

From time to time, the good ol' Region 4 Blog likes to let you all know where you're checkin' in from.

This is partly because we find it cool that this tiny little speck has been visted by people from as far away as Singapore, the Philippines and Missouri. But also because we find this whole Internets/World Wide Interblog thing pretty amazing.

So, here are some fun stats:

* U.S. Visitors: We've had guests from every state in the union except Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia. Some of these states may have checked in, but certain ISPs can't be read by our software. Still, if you know of anyone in these states, send them our way so we can color them in on the big map on the back of our Winnebago!

* World Visitors: Now, this is what I love. Check out the countries we've had hits from. It's fascinating: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and "Unknown Country." (See, I told you that site software was weird sometimes).

The Region 4 Blog is no fool. We know many of these hits are coming from the link from our good friends at SND Update: The Blog, either from the permanent link in the rail or from my blatant cross- and self-promotional tactics. Others are coming from people linking to my tagline at VizEds. But still, others are coming from Google searches for certain things, and then just stumbling in here.

It's all pretty interesting to watch as it unfolds.

Region 4 News You Can Use

2007-05-15T05:49:00.000-06:00

Plenty of stuff happening these days. Here are some quick tidbits that might be of interest ...

Plain Dealer getting a new editor
On Monday, the big announcement came down in both San Jose, Calif., and Cleveland. Susan Goldberg, the executive editor at the San Jose Mercury News and one of the major guiding forces behind that paper's rise from a great paper to a world-class superstar in the last seven or eight years, will take over as the top editor at the Plain Dealer. You can read more about the big move from our friends next door at the SND Update Blog.

Deadline nears for The Intern applications
You're a college student entering your junior or senior year this fall. How'd you like to do your internship in the summer of '08 at The New York Times and live in Manhattan for a few months? How about The Boston Globe? The Hartford Courant? The Virginian-Pilot? Don't miss your chance to apply for this year's SND Intern competition! Last year's was a massive success and saw Region 4's very own Carrie Hoover of Michigan State University walk away with the coveted title. And Carrie reports to us that she'll be flying across country this week to get ready for her internship this summer at the Merc! So keep making Region 4 proud, Carrie! You need to head over to the SND Update Blog posting for some lowdown on The Intern, being chaired by Region 4 alum and overall goddess Kristin Lenz of the Courant. Or head straight to the SND Boston official site to get details. Whatever you do, don't miss your opportunity to apply!

Movie fans, where ya at? I need your help!
Everyone loves the movies. And now, over at the SND Update Blog, I've started a new feature called Movie Monday. In this recurring feature, we'll get to read a new review each week of a newspaper or journalism-related flick. And I'm looking for volunteers! All it takes is a movie that you want to review and the desire to let your voice be heard by the masses. So shoot me an e-mail and let me know what you want to review. Then I'll send you the format and you'll be off and running! What are you waiting for?!? Get involved!

RedEye's weekend edition launched
RedEye design director Chris Courtney reports that the Monday-Friday Chicago-based tab has launched its Saturday edition. The unique thing about the Saturday book? It's a home-delivered product, not a newsstand edition. But it's still free, just like the daily edition. Courtney says the Saturday edition features a slightly different organizational structure than the M-F edition, focusing on more on-the-go-type stuff up front to get you planning your weekend activities quicker. Head over to RedEye's recently revamped home on the World Wide Web and check out some new features there -- and see if you're eligible for the Saturday home delivery of the 'Eye in your zip code!

Times of NW Indiana brings
three new designers on board
OK, it's time for me to self promote just a little bit. The Times of Northwest Indiana had a mini celebration Monday as the first of its three new design desk hires came on board. Diane Petitti comes to Munster from the Arizona Republic in Phoenix. Diane's a native of Chicagoland, so we're glad we could snag her and bring her back home to the Midwest. Check out some of Diane's work from the Republic and her collegiate work at Iowa State at her NPD portfolio. And we hope she'll have some equally impressive work posted from The Times real soon! On May 21, recent North Carolina-Chapel Hill graduate Amy Dombrower joins The Times. And on May 23, Dana Moran, recent Syracuse graduate and past editor-in-chief and design director for The Daily Orange, comes on board. We're ultra excited to have three new future superstars in the mix!

Don't forget, everyone -- send me your news alerts and I'll get them posted!

ASBPE's Azbee Awards design judging concludes

2007-05-13T07:15:00.000-06:00

From left to right, judges Terry Ntovas-Roth, Renee Pas, Jen Mystkowski and Chris Courtney sift through hundreds of entries, each of which had to be scored on a 100-point scale using several layers of criteria. (MattE photo)

Judging in the design categories of the American Society of Business Publication Editors' Azbee Awards concluded Saturday in Wheaton, Ill.

It was a long judging day -- 8:30 a.m. or so until 7 p.m., when discussions on the Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist winners finished up for the 18 design-based categories. But the four judges (read about them in the previous post) were kept on a steady diet of Dunkin Donuts, bagels and plenty of coffee and Big Gulps, as you can see above.

The publications? Mostly trade and business-to-business magazines that most of us wouldn't normally get a chance to see -- pubs like Your Church magazine, produced for ministers; R&I (Restaurants and Institutions); Self Employed; and the list goes on and on and on. Did you know there's an entire publication produced for owners of truck stops and roadside rest areas? We can't make this stuff up.

The judges' reaction throughout the day was that there's a lot of really nice work being done in this genre of publications. And ... well, there's also a lot out there that leaves plenty to be desired.

The publication name is blurred to protect the guilty. But one trend the judges noticed was the struggle for art in many of the publications on the table. Check out the cover (and yes, those are singles). Cash is indeed king. Until you get to the cover story spread, when, I guess, cash is actually queen. And we were treated to two more white-dudes-hold-dollar-bills photos with the spread.

The pubs that were doing it well were really doing it well -- and not surprisingly, then tended to be the ones with bigger budgets and bigger audiences. The ones that were struggling were really struggling and the phrase "I think they just don't know any better" was uttered more than a few times.

Still, though, the judges found that there is plenty of inspiration and good work to be found outside the traditional magazine and newspaper structure most of us are used to seeing. The Region 4 Blog's favorite during the Saturday judging? Emergency Management magazine, which had the best photojournalism going for it out of all the publications, but also had a surprisingly sweet use of typography. Despite the fact the Region 4 Blog doesn't work for the federal government, we've already put in a request for a subscription -- seems the least they can do for our tax dollars, right?!?

ASBPE's Azbee Awards judging continues today

2007-05-12T06:20:00.000-06:00

An interesting trend the Region 4 Blog noticed Friday in Day 1 of the ASBPE's Azbbe Awards? Typography jokes. That top one is from Shelter magazine and is an entire article on door skins. We didn't even know what door skins were before Friday. And ya gotta love the brace-face in-joke in Independent Agent magazine, below. (MattE photos)

On Friday, judging began for design categories in the annual Azbee Awards. Never heard of them? Those are the prizes doled out by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE, pronounced "Az-bee").

The Region 4 Blog was joined in Wheaton, Ill., by RedEye design director Chris Courtney and freelance editor Renee Pas for Day 1 of the judging process for the design-based categories.

Day 1 was a screening process, whittling down the largest categories to make today's actual judging a bit easier to get through. The screening process reminded us very much of the "cupping" process at the SND Competition -- when a category has too man entries to set out all at once, judges place a cup on entries they want to look at more intensively.

But Day 2 will be a whole new ballgame -- each entry will be individually judged and will receive a numerical score. The scores from the judges will then be averaged to give each entry its final total, which will determine the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners. The judges will go through 15 categories, including various subcategories of design work, photography and illustration.

The lowdown on the judges:

Chris Courtney: Design Director for RedEye, the Chicago Tribune's snarky tabloid. In addition to spearheading the tab's recent redesign, he also contributes additional content for the paper, which fights for the attention of the "militantly uninterested" reader. In addition to collecting several SND awards, he recently won the Tribune's prestigious Beck award. (Pictured below, Courtney holds up one of the entries -- but asks that you not chuckle).
Jen Mystkowski: Crain's Chicago Business graphics editor, Jen works with reporters, designers and editors to research and create informational graphics to accompany stories in every section of Crain's. Prior to Crain's, Jen spent six years at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, where she worked as an art director, business editor and designer. Before that, she was a copy editor and designer at the Virginian-Pilot.
Terry Ntovas-Roth: Owner and creative director of TNR Design, Ntovas-Roth has been a designer/visual communicator for over 20 years. She attended the graduate program at Pratt Institute in New York while working in the areas of newspaper, publication, ad agencies and design firms during her 13 years in New York. Elle, Allure, Rolling Stone and The Village Voice are among the pubs she has worked for. After seven years with Reed Business Information, she began her own company.
Renee Pas: A self-employed writer and editor, Renne has 14 years of journalism experience. Her writing career started as a news editor for Adams Trade Publishing and eventually rose to vice president of editorial for CSP Information Group, where she led the convenience retailing publication to numerous ASPBE awards, as well as a Jesse H. Neal award. In addition to overseeing multiple business publications, Renee’s background includes creating multimedia products, including an event-based television product, electronic newsletters and custom publishing pieces.
Matt Erickson: Design director at The Times of Northwest Indiana and your Region 4 Blog host. Yay, Region 4!

Day 1 saw lots of great-looking publications -- and a few that, ahem, left a little to be desired. But the best part was that these were mostly trade pubs -- things you're not going to find on the shelves at your local Borders. So no matter what, about 99 percent of the publications were new to the Region 4 Blog.

We'll keep you posted after Day 2 -- but there is no blogging time built into Saturday's schedule, so be sure to check back tonight or tomorrow morning for more skinny on the Azbees!

Muskegon Chronicle celebrating sesquicentennial in style

2007-05-10T08:48:00.000-06:00

Kevin Kyser, art director at the Muskegon, Mich., Chronicle, passes on some really exciting news happening in that fantastic little city on the Eastern shore of Lake Michigan.

The Chronicle is in the midst of its sesquicentennial anniversary celebration -- that's 150 years! Kyser tells the Region 4 Blog the paper is doing a bundle to commemorate the occasion -- and it all looks fantastic!

The Chronicle will publish three special sections next week, May 14-16, and Kyser says each section will focus on topics like famous and influential people, landmarks, celebrations, sports and the arts.

"The section covers were designed to showcase front pages from each of the past 150 years," Kyser said. "The challenge, of course, was digging up these artifacts. Through our own archives, microfilm and the help of our readers, we were able to piece together a nearly-comprehensive representation. The result will be a visual timeline of historic events via Chronicle front pages."

The paper has also partnered with The Muskegon County Museum, which will have an exhibit at which readers will be able to view 150 years of history as told by the Chronicle. The exhibit will feature historical Muskegon artifacts, photos and newspaper clipping. Plus, Kyser said, the three special section fronts will be enlarged to 9 feet and hung in the exhibit to allow visitors to study each page up close. How cool is that?!?

And finally, the paper made an interactive DVD called “Betcha Didn’t Know That!,” whicih can be purchased by readers, but is also designed to be used as an educational tool for students in the classroom. The DVD features trivia questions about Muskegon area in a game show-like format. Kyser says the style is very much influenced by Monty Python, both graphically and from a humor standpoint.

The party starts Monday in Muskegon, including special open houses, tours and, yes, parties. But by all means, head over to Kyser's NewsPageDesigner portfolio and take a look at some of the cool stuff he and the Chronicle are doing for this monumental event!

Region 4's Christine McNeal leaving the newspaper world

2007-05-08T06:43:00.000-06:00

The Region 4 Blog learned today through a post just next door from our pals at SND Update: The Blog that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Christine McNeal has decided to leave the world of newspapers.

Christine is the immediate past president for the Society, meaning she served also as president, vice president, secretary and treasurer -- doing all with the enthusiasm and vigor that she is known for. The Region 4 Blog can honestly say that if not for Christine, you would not be reading this site right now. Christine has been absolutely instrumental in helping me, personally, with my SND pursuits, and I know she has helped countless others in that same way throughout her journalism career.

Christine, known for her kindness of spirit and the deepest love of Disney in SND, will now take on a new challenge. She will study at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and says in a note to her Journal-Sentinel colleagues, as reported at the Update Blog, that means "I'll be a minister by the time I'm 50. I'm likely to take an emphasis in environmental justice or social justice."

Christine will be dearly missed in the newspaper industry. But if she was able to affect so many lives and careers as a visual journalist, just think how many lives she'll affect in her new endeavors.

Please head over the SND Update Blog to read even more, and then drop a comment here or e-mail Christine to congratulate her. You will be truly missed, Christine, but we know you'll still be looking out for us and keeping up with what we're doing!

Three cheers is an understatement, Christine -- but we're glad you'll still be here in Region 4 so we can take you to dinner to celebrate and thank you for all you've done for us! Congratulations, good friend!

Of Sweet Tomatoes, Spidey 3 and ... car wrecks

2007-05-07T20:49:00.000-06:00

Sketch by Bill Thornbro | The Times of Northwest Indiana

Let's just come right out and say it.

Your friendly neighborhood Region 4 Blog survived what can only be described as a near-death experience on Sunday.

No joke.

And it can all be blamed on the Sweet Tomatoes restaurant chain.

See, because Sweet Tomatoes doesn't have a restaurant in Northwest Indiana (and in fact, there aren't any in Region 4 save for the three in Chicagoland), The Blog and The Wife find themselves every now and again coming up with an excuse to drive the 65 miles or so to the nearest one in Schaumburg, Ill. Luckily, Schaumburg is a shopping mecca, so we can usually make a day out of it.

Sunday was to be a fantastic day, one we had been talking about all week. Sweet Tomatoes had begun serving brunch. From 9 a.m. until noon on Sundays, the nirvana of soup and salad buffets would now be featuring brunch -- breakfast burritos, biscuits and gravy, potatoes O'Brien, fresh muffins. This was not to be missed. And to top it off, we were going to help "Spider-Man 3" break the opening-weekend record by contributing $15 or so to the cause for a matineé.

So as we chugged along in our adored Honda Pilot SUV on I-294, the Tri-State Tollway, Kerry attempting to have a conversation with me while driving as I sat in the passenger seat surfing the Web on my phone, we had no idea we were about to be inches from a seriously bad situation.

I looked up from my phone just in time to see the vehicle next to us deciding he was going to merge over and into us. And he was coming fast and hard, oblivious to the fact we were even there -- and we had been there for quite some time, too. Kerry instinctively swerved to the next lane over, and also hit the brakes.

The result was a tailspin to end all tailspins, despite four brand-new tires on the Pilot. The vehicle was uncontrollable, and at one point we found ourselves facing the other way, spinning backward as we looked at the oncoming traffic still coming toward us. When they say in near-death experiences, everything happens in slow motion -- they're not kidding. I will swear on my life that I locked eyes with the driver of the SUV that was barreling down on us as we spun backward.

Finally, we came to a rest by slamming backward into the center concrete median -- still facing the wrong way, but now on the shoulder. It took a couple of seconds to realize what just happened -- and to realize that, holy cow, how did we not hit any other vehicles, and how did no others hit us?!? We're talking four lanes of traffic on one of the most driven-on stretches of road in the entire state. Of course, the idiot that was about to clip us just kept right on going, probably still oblivious to the accident he had just caused.

When you get right down to it, the Region 4 Blog is not much for saying things like this are life-affirming or life-altering. But geez Louise -- when we think about how we probably should've rolled the SUV, but it didn't roll ... how we should've taken out other cars with us, but none were touched ... how we should at least be majorly injured, but we simply have stiff necks ... well, we're a bit thankful to be alive one day later.

And if you're wondering -- after the state trooper came and took our report and helped us get straightened out, we still made it up to Sweet Tomatoes in time for that brunch and then on to the "Spider-Man 3" matineé! Brunch was obviously the highlight of the day. Because after being in a car wreck, we had to sit through more than 2 hours of the car wreck that is Spidey 3!

Perhaps the best part to come out of all of this is the sketch from the Region 4 Blog's good buddy Bill Thornbro, The Times of Northwest Indiana's graphics director. During the weekly planning meeting on Monday, BT sketched your Region 4 host with a neck brace on and it has instantly become a favorite of the Region 4 Blog and The Wife. The sketch, done in about 12 seconds, leads this post. With 20 seconds, BT could've given me a little bit more hair -- I've got a little more than is depicted, though not much!

The moral of all of this? Several. The Region 4 Blog takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. Always wear your seatbelt. Don't take anything for granted. And when life kicks ya in the ... shins ... well, just keep on keepin' on -- a sweet buffet and an afternoon movie await!

Kentucky papers show plenty of Street Sense in coverage of the Derby

2007-05-06T10:36:00.000-06:00

It was a race fit for a Queen in Louisville on Saturday -- Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip were on hand for the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby. And the British royalty sure picked a good time for their first trip to Churchill Downs.

Streeet Sense, with jockey Calvin Borel up, came from 19th place (out of 20 horses) for an incredible rally to win the Derby. He was the 9-2 favorite at post time, but it took a charge of legendary proportions to pull off the victory in front of the Queen, countless celebrities and more than 133,000 fans at the most famous horse race in the world.

And today, we're taking a look at some of the fantastic work done by the two papers that cover the Derby better and with more voracity than anyone else in the world -- the Derby's hometown paper, the Louisville Courier-Journal, and the Lexington Herald-Leader.

So without further ado, here's some of that great coverage. Special thanks to Region 4 members Patty Pitts, presentation editor at the Courier-Journal, and Jeff Bowen, a designer at the Herald-Leader, for sending pages along to share with all of us.

Louisville Courier-Journal

The Courier-Journal's A1, top, was devoted entirely to the Derby, as we would expect. The 'Street Sense-ational!' headline was perhaps the best this blogger saw this morning, and the photo was beautiful. Inside, the C-J had a nice page devoted to showing Street Sense's track position in coming from 19th place to win the Derby with a combo of photos and infographic elements. The Derby draws some of the world's biggest celebrities every year, so photo pages of those stars are a must. And this year's biggest star was Queen Elizabeth II, so that called for special coverage of that once-in-a-lifetime event. Also interesting are the non-traditional ad sizes anchoring the page.

And leading up to the race, the Courier-Journal published a 24-page preview section (their live coverage, post-race, was also a 24-page whopper!). Here are a couple of highlights.

Lexington Herald-Leader

The Herald-Leader also had a nice full-page graphic showing the different stages of the race and how Calvin Borel and Street Sense were able to use their Derby sense -- Churchill Downs is their home track, after all -- to take the Run for the Roses. Lexington went big with its celebrity photo page, devoting a doubletruck featuring an astounding 17 images to the stars who came out for the race. And we mustn't forget the Queen.

Lexington also sends on some of the work it did leading up to the race, including its special section cover and a fun double-doubletruck -- a fold-up readers' guide to the race with a Churchill Downs map on the back.

UPDATED: IG Conference at MSU has been canceled for this year

2007-05-04T10:25:00.000-06:00

Well, the Region 4 Blog today learned the bummer news that Karl Gude's inaugural IG Conference at Michigan State has been canceled. Word around the campfire, namely from our bestest buddies over at the SND Update Blog, is that Karl has had to postpone this year's workshop and hopes to give it another go next year, possibly in the Big Apple.

So major bummer, because this sucker was going to be one fantastic experience. Best of luck on getting it going for next year, Karl!

The Region 4 Blog has gotten word from infographics legend Karl Gude at Michigan State that the registration price for his inaugural IG Conference June 3-5 has been reduced even further -- through Friday only!!! -- for early-bird sign-ups.

This amazing conference and workshop is jam-packed with speakers of such a ridiculous quality that they probably need to roll out a red carpet for their arrival. Seriously.

~~Nigel Holmes (Legendary Time magazine guru whose current company's clients include Nike, Apple, Sony and Visa)~~
~~Matthew Ericson~~ ~~(The New York Times) on concept and design~~
~~Kevin Hand~~ ~~(Newsweek) on 3D diagramming~~
~~Bill McNulty~~ ~~(National Geographic) on mapping~~
~~Dona Wong~~ ~~(The Wall Street Journal) on charting~~
~~John Grimwade~~ ~~(Conde Nast Traveler and Portfolio) on 2D diagramming~~
~~Karl Gude~~ ~~(former Newsweek graphics director, now at Michigan State), your host and presenter at the June 3 hands-on workshop~~

The hands-on workshop (June 3 with Gude and Hand) is limited to 30 participants; the conference (June 4-5) is limited to 210 people. Everything will take place at Michigan State University's School of Journalism. Plus, if you bring your business card, you'll have a shot at winning a copy of Adobe's brand-spankin' new Creative Suite 3 (we won't tell if you don't share it with your paper)!

~~For more information about the conference, head on over to www.IGConference.org or shoot an e-mail to Karl at either gudek@msu.edu or kgude@karlgude.com~~

Detroit's Rosa Castellanos: The VisaulMente interview

2007-05-01T06:55:00.000-06:00

About a month ago, Region 4 member Elio Leturia had a chat with Rosa Castellanos, an award-winning features designer at the Detroit Free Press, over at the VisualMente Blog.

Leturia was a longtime design ace at the FreeP before becoming a faculty member at Columbia College in Chicago about 1 1/2 years ago. He is also a columnist at VisualMente, which provided a forum for him to talk with Castellanos about her creative process, being bilingual and bicultural in the newspaper design business and the differences beteween North American and Latin American designers.

You can head over to read the full interview from the good folks at VisualMente and you have two options: The Spanish version or the English translation as provided by Google.

Here are some of the highlights of this very insightful Q&A with loose translations provided by me that update the Google translations. Please visit the VisualMente folks for the full monty:

Leturia: What is your creative process?
Castellanos: It begins with objectivity. If it is an illustration for the newspaper, I listen to what the people of the editorial team have to say about the subject we're dealing with. Later, I ask questions. It is very important that when the meeting is finished, there is clarity in the objective of the project. ... I have learned in the newspaper business that you have to make decisions according to the time and the resources available. ... Sometimes (a visual) idea appears when I read the budget line. Other times it comes when drawing in my notebook of sketches with a Sharpie marker. In other cases it comes from the meeting. Personally I have learned to keep the idea before sharing it with the editors. To talk about it before it becomes tangible is meaningless since each person has his own version in mind. I keep it to myself until sharing it with the art director -- that way I get additional support with a vision similar to mine.

Leturia: Which are the resources that you use in your illustrations?
Castellanos: They vary according to the subject. My favorite technique is collage. I use colored paper with textures ... In order to style collages I use a blue Sharpie marker and liquid paper. ... I have to understand the subject well -- I chat with the writer and the editor. If the subject is on music, I listen to the CD. If it is on theater, for example, I visit the site of the event if I have time.

Leturia: What was the process in creating the "Whoopie Cushion" page that won an SND award in the last competition?
Castellanos: It was complicated in many ways. First, flatulence is not a popular subject for North American newspaper readers. ... There was not a long time to think about concepts. ... The editor of the section sent the whoopie cushion to us. That was the unique thing that we had for art for the cover and the inside pages. The problem was that the whoopie cushion itself had very strong typography and would compete with the headline. The headline "Ooops" came naturally -- the intention was to unite the art with the headline, and it occurred!

Leturia: Is useful to be bilingual and bicultural in the atmosphere in which you work?
Castellanos: I believe it is. I think that I have the best of both worlds. Although there are not many Latins where I work, I know that to be bicultural gives a flavor to the work that I do -- in an atmosphere like Detroit where there is much "funk."

Again, head over to VisualMente for the full-length interview: The Spanish version or the English translation as provided by Google.

SND Boston Q/A V. 1:Nick Masuda, Lewiston Sun-Journal

2007-04-29T05:44:00.000-06:00

It's never too early to get registered for the SND Boston workshop taking place Oct. 11-13 at the Boston Park Plaza Tower and Hotel. It'll be here before you know it, and I, for one, can't wait to get back to Beantown for the incredible workshop that will happen there.

So to get us all into the spirit of things, we're going to meet one of the speakers at the workshop. Today, we'll sit down with Nick Masuda of the Sun-Journal in Lewiston, Maine. Nick is the latest in a series of great visual journalists to run the show in Lewiston, which has produced some of the best design work for smaller newspapers in the world.

So without further ado ... here's Nick Masuda, who will be part of a panel session focusing on big design at smaller papers. And he promises that with what he and his co-panelists have planned, you will NOT want to miss it!

Vital Stats
• Title: Managing Editor of Visuals & Sports.
• Years at current paper: One.
• Previous publications and titles: San Jose Mercury News, News/Sports designer ... Santa Barbara News-Press, Deputy Sports Editor ... Asbury Park Press, News/Business/Sports Designer ... Ocean County Observer, Production Manager ... Santa Barbara News-Press, Sports Designer/Sports reporter ... The Associated Press, Sports Correspondent.
• Educational background: BA in sociology, University of California at Santa Barbara, 2001.
• Where are you from, originally: Fremont, Calif.
• Family: Wife, Danielle (married almost four years); son Patrick (2 years old); grandparents Ron and Fran.

Workin' For a Livin'
• What inspires you creatively?: My staff. It's important to look to your coworkers for inspiration. It creates an environment of collaboration and creative critique. And, of course, newspagedesigner.com.
• You get in a creative funk. What do you do to get the creative juices flowing again?: Drink heavily. Well, not really - but it gets tempting. Ha! Anyway, I take a look at trends in newspapers and pick them apart. It seems to get me thinking again - it motivates me to do or not do something. It's amazing what looking around at your "competition" can do for a psyche.
• When did you know you wanted to be a visual journalist?: When I decided I wanted to have a family. Life on the road as a baseball beat writer can tear a family apart. Also, growing up reading the Merc primed me to great visual journalism. It was almost second nature. Plus, I have a short attention span and I know I am not alone. Visuals keep me interested and creating them is half the fun.
• What project are you most proud of in your career?: The Brazil project we produced here last October. It took two months of planning, talking my editor into sending a staff photographer and producing an award-winning special section that meant a lot to our readers. We stretched our staff pretty thin, but the graphics, photography, typography and insightful writing made it all worth it. Paper mills are huge in Maine and we let that industry know they are in trouble.
• You get a chance to hit "Apple-Z" on one project in your career and do it over and do it better. What would it be and why?: I don't look at bad decisions as mistakes, I look at them as opportunities to learn and avoid them in the future. Have I designed horrible pages? Yes. Some that I would burn. But with each mistake, I learned something to avoid in the future.
• What are your thoughts about the current state of our business, what with the rise of that World Wide Web thing and stuff?: I think newspapers have lost track of what made them pertinent in the first place - the reader. The voice of most newspapers comes from within, not from outside the building. We don't buy the newspaper ourselves, the people of our respective communities do. Yet, their voice is rarely seen in the paper - only during tragedies or obvious situations.

And administrators are relied on way too heavily. This leads to boring journalism, and makes us less pertinent. We need more photos, headlines and stories about our readers. We need their opinions about a story instead of our own.

Don't get me wrong, there is a place for our opinion, but it shouldn't be the focus. A column about a football game? Awesome. But make sure you have the fans covered as well, and that is how we can use the Web. Talk to the fans, take photos of the fans and put them together in a soundshow. And then take that info and cross-publish it. It gives the fan incentive to buy the paper AND check out the Web site.

And, speaking of the Web, there is a reason it is popular: the reader has control. They can comment and browse at will - they choose what they want to see. While the print product can't do that, our numbers should show trends in what people are truly interested in and allow our print product to become an analysis of those subjects. We put up a barrier before the reader asks us to, and that is cutting off our nose to spite our face.
• What's your be all, end all ultimate career goal?: To make the reader happy. But on a personal level, I'd be happy to stay in Lewiston for the rest of my career. But, if I was offered the opportunity to be the managing editor of sports at USA Today, I wouldn't turn it down. No paper listens to the reader like USA Today. It may be an eyesore at times, but even that is improving. Sometimes what we think has "visual impact" is not the same as what the reader deems to have "visual impact."
• What papers do you look at for inspiration?: The Virginian-Pilot (talk about brilliant, reader-oriented design) ... the San Jose Mercury News ... The Bakersfield Californian (yes, really) ... the Orlando Sentinel ... The New York Times' graphics department and USA Today (for their content-driven design).
• What about non-newspapers? What other publications to you admire?: The Sporting News (short-form, visual journalism at its best) ... ESPN The Magazine (chaos in a really good way) ... Sports Illustrated (proves long stories are OK, as long as it is presented well).
• What visual journalists do you most admire?: Harris Siegel (my first "visual" boss, my mentor and someone who I count on to this day) ... Matt Mansfield (a pioneer in the truest sense) ... Alan Jacobson (he may piss you off, but his underlying theme is the reader -- can't argue with that) ... Tim Frank (founder of newspagedesigner.com and showed that small newspapers everywhere can compete with the big boys by transforming the Sun Journal into what it is today -- I just hope to not tarnish the image he created) ... Andrea Levy (don't know her, but her illustrations make me feel like I do).
• You can go to dinner with three journalists and pick their brains about the business. Who are they going to be?: Jacobson, Wenalway (a.k.a. Wordhawk, Rknil, or whatever) and Vince Chiramonte. I'd set up a pay-per-view event for that one. Bloodshed would be a requirement. But for real, I'd much rather invite three readers to the table and pick their brains about what they'd like to see in the newspaper. That opinion means more to me.

Gettin' Personal
• What's your favorite journalism-related movie?: "Anchorman." Ron Burgundy rocks!
• You're stuck on a desert island with a solar-powered entertainment center. What five movies do you hope you've got with you? "Remember the Titans" (I cry every friggin' time) ... "Crossroads" (Britney Spears, at her finest -- yes, this is a joke) ... "Pirates of the Caribbean" (Johnny Depp should change his name to Jack Sparrow) ... "The Rookie" (I hope they make a movie about me after I make The Show next year) ... "8 Mile" (Eminem is God)
• Who's going to play you in a newspaper movie based on your career?: Brad Garrett, a giant with a smart-ass opinion on everything.
• Yeah, we know TV mostly sucks. But what are your favorite shows of all time?: "American Idol" (insert joke here ... but I can't stop watching) ... "Beverly Hills 90210" (probably shouldn't make that public, but I just did) ... "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (Will Smith is awesome) ... "Punk'd" (Ashton Kutcher is a genius ... with the show and landing a MILF) ... "Family Matters" (Urkel put suspenders on the map)
• What's kickin' around in your iPod or iTunes lately? Name some of your current greatest hits: Chris Daughtry's "Going Home" ... Anything Mat Kearney or Gwen Stefani ... That new summer joint by Justin Timberlake.
• What about your favorite music shiznit of all time, yo?: Dude, I still have Hammer on my iPod. I am all about Eminem, but you have to throw in a little Maroon 5, Lifehouse, Matchbox Twenty and Train.
• What are your hobbies outside of the newspaper biz?: Baseball (I live and breathe with the Oakland Athletics), teaching my son to play golf and concerts (I don't get to many nowadays).
• The coolest city in the world and why?: New York City. Where else can you get the world's best food at 4 a.m.?
• Someplace you've never visited but want to?: My bed. I don't see it too often anymore. But, after I get rested, I'd like to visit Tokyo to check out some of my ancestry.
• You can sit down to dinner with three people in the history of the world. Who would they be and why?: Muhammad Ali, because he was the people's champion. His aura had more to do with his interaction with the fans than it did with his prowess in the ring. I think he could provide some insight on putting your audience first and building a great product on that premise. ... John F. Kennedy Jr. Seemed like a guy who stuck to what he promised. I'd like to know how he did that despite living in the White House. ... Bono, because the man is out to make a difference. He cares about the world and I'd like to pat him on the back more than anything. He inspires me to do special things.

UPDATED! That's a wrap from the Tucson Multimedia Quick Course!

2007-04-28T20:14:00.000-06:00

Greetings from the land of cacti! Or cactus. Or cactuses. Or spiky plants that grow in the sand. But, greetings from the SND Multimedia Quick Course at the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson! These cacti greet visitors to the Star, but inside, it's anything but a thorny reception. (Photo by Mike Rice, Arizona Daily Star)

5:11 p.m. Pacific
That's a wrap from the Tucson Quick Course. It was a great day, culminating in three hours of hands-on training with the Apple wizards. And now, in true SND style, we're off to dinner and ... KARAOKE! It just wouldn't be an SND event without some bad singing.

So thanks for tuning in throughout the day. We truly wish you were here, though we did have one Region 4 member, Lorna Lim Wong from the Chicago Tribune, hangin' in the desert with us. And we also had Canadian representation with Ben Kahler from the Winnipeg Free Press! Now THAT is dedication!

4:10 p.m. Pacific
The hands-on sesh with Apple has given us a tour through Aperture. It's also now given us a tour through Final Cut Pro and now we're into Soundtrack Pro, all part of the Final Cut Studio of applications.

And talk of the ethics of sound editing in multimedia has come up. For example, does adding the ambient noise of traffic going by to a photo series that didn't contain any traffic breach ethical codes? A good discussion is now underway! And we thought this would just be hands-on -- we're gettin' down and dirty, folks!

2:52 p.m. Pacific
We're underway in the three-hour hands-on session with the experts from Apple Inc. Right now, we're diving into Aperture, part of Apple's ridiculously sweet and intuitive photo editing software suite.

We're using 2GHz Intel Core Duo MacBook Pro laptops that Apple flew in to the QC site. And man, the Region 4 Blog's little iBook G4 look like a poodle next to a Doberman. Ouch. Looks like we'll be doing some laptop shopping this summer. Contributions are welcome!

1:07 p.m. Pacific
We're back from lunch, and we survived some outdoor dining while a big desert storm pushed its way into town. But inside the Arizona Daily Star, we're pushing onward!

On stage now is Len DeGroot, graphics director for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Len's showcasing some multimedia work done by the Sun-Sentinel to help its readers through the home-buying process in the tricky South Florida housing market.

But his first tip on creating interactive multimedia projects might be the most important for folks moving foward: "KEEP IT SIMPLE." He showed us an online graphic from the Boston Globe showing how Daily Savings Time would work this spring as compared to past years. "Notice how there's no, 'Click this,' 'Click over here,' 'Do this here' It's just there for you. Nice and simple."

DeGroot showed a Sun-Sentinel interactive feature allowing readers to calculate their Body Mass Index. And when they prepare it for printing, BAM! Nice Sun-Sentinel logo up top! "We brand, baby," DeGroot said after his session. "We promote, we brand -- we want people to come back to us all the time."

Seems simple, right? But how many of us out there can honestly say all of our interactive Web features also feature cross-branding for our publications' print and online products?

12:07 p.m. Pacific
Updates? You want updates? How about this: The Region 4 Blog is HUNGRY! And we're breaking for lunch! More to come after the break with Len DeGroot of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, followed by a three-hour hands-on session with the experts from Apple Inc.!

11:21 a.m. Pacific
Andrew Satter is speaking about the Arizona Daily Star's online video presence. The Star's online folks, as well as their photographers, have become videographers. Satter showed a Star Web video report on immigration between Mexico, just an hour south of Tucson, and the U.S. - a controversial subject, to say the least. But the Star has empowered its photographers, reporters and online folks to produce these types of multimedia reports for a new audience on the web.

Satter is also taking us through "15 Steps to Video That Won't Suck." In other words, take it easy on that zoom function!

Here are some great tips from Satter on "Conducting the Interview" when you're out shooting video/audio for a multimedia presentation:

Ask, then shut up. Use non-verbal acknowledgments with the subject rather than saying, "Uh-huh, sure, yeah."
Dont' be afraid of silence - silence is your friend when you're shooting video.
Seek emotion -- ask questions like "How did you feel?"
Look the storyteller in the eyes, stay engaged.
Use a tripod whenever possible.

10:39 a.m. Pacific
Kori Rumore is well into her fantastic presentation on learning Flash in 50 Minutes. She has billed it as "A Nerd's Guide to Flash," but if she's a nerd, then I must be Urkel. Mike Rice reports that Kori is a newcomer to the speaking circuit - but if that's the case, she's a natural.

Rumore's best tip so far for Flash users of all skill levels? "Think about the annual events that your paper covers," she said. "These are things you can build in Flash and then update year after year." In other words, you're going to spend some time building a great Flash-based multimedia project on the front end for, say, your county fair. But next year, you're ready to roll and you can just go in and update the content for the new year.

Now, you've all just GOT to check out the great Flash animation Kori showed to close her session. It's from Alan Becker at the Albino Blacksheep site. Great, great stuff. And if you didn't want to learn Flash before seeing this, you will afterward!

9:45 a.m. Pacific
Tim D'Avis has shown some really neat things that the Quad-City Times is doing with its Web site, especially its "Quadrants" section. He showed some snippets of Greg Swanson, who stars in the online-only instructional vids, showing readers uses of duct tape. Head on over to the QCT's multimedia site and check out the abundance of stuff they're doing every day.

D'Avis said the QCT's philosophy is that multimedia stuff shouldn't be being done only by the tech heads. "I'm trying to work myself out of a job," D'Avis said. "We want journalists producing this stuff - the reporters, the editors, the photographers, not the three (tech heads) sitting in the corner of the newsroom." He said the QCT is efforting toward getting video cameras in the hands of all its reporters - if news happens while they're on their beat, they can be all over it.

11:25 a.m. Pacific
Greetings from the Arizona Daily Star in sunny Tucson, Ariz.!

The Region 4 Blog is reporting live on the multimedia Quick Course being hosted today by the Daily Star and site chair Mike Rice, a former Region 4 superstar from The Times of Northwest Indiana, now the team leader for design and graphics at the Star.

There's a fantastic lineup of speakers on tap for today, and the action just got started with Tim D'Avis, the online director of the Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa), who is speaking about getting started in launching video and multimedia projects for your paper's Web site. If you haven't seen some of the insanely cool stuff the QC Times does with multimedia, you do NOT want to miss it. In fact, one of the paper's online superstars is Greg Swanson, SND's Quick Course coordinator and the 29th Edition Coordinator of the SND Competition.

A quick breakdown of the the day's speakers so you can be jealous that you're not here:

Tim D'Avis, Online Director for the Quad City Times: Video & Multimedia – Getting Started: An overview of building video and multimedia operations for your Web site.
10-10:50 a.m. - Kori Rumore, Assistant Visual Team Leader / Graphics for the Arizona Daily Star: Flash in 50 minutes: A full-blown, hands-on introduction to Macromedia Flash.
11-11:50 a.m. - Andrew Satter, Online Videographer for www.azstarnet.com and the Arizona Daily Star: Video basic training: The demand for online video has increased dramatically in just the past few years. How some newsrooms around the country are dealing with the video issue, plus the rules of cinematography and video storytelling .
1-1:50 p.m. - Len DeGroot, Graphics Director for the South Florida Sun Sentinel: The next step in interactive graphics: Learn how to incorporate video, audio and 3-D in your projects. And learn how to develop a good process to avoid common pitfalls.
2-5 p.m. - Apple Inc.: Media Rich Podcasting hands-on training: See how easy it is to combine digital photos with audio and video clips to deliver an engaging experience for news-hungry audiences.

So stay tuned today for live updates from Tucson. Wish you were here!

All around the world: Region 4 Blog growing in popularity

2007-04-24T21:10:00.000-06:00

So 10 days ago, I installed this fun little free software on the Region 4 Blog. It's called Site Meter and it tracks visitors to this happy little corner of the SND world.

And I don't wanna brag, but ... well, the Region 4 Blog is getting to be kinda cool. To borrow from Will Ferrell in Anchorman, "It's kind of a big deal."

In the last 10 days alone, since installing the software, the Region 4 Blog has had visitors from 31 states and 11 countries outside of the U.S.! And remember, that's just since I installed the software -- I'm sure those stats would go up had I been monitoring from the beginning.

The above maps from Site Meter show just where you all are coming here from the last 100 visits. (And thanks to good friends of Region 4 Mike Rice of the Arizona Daily Star for letting me steal the idea to show the visitor maps, and thanks to Design magazine editor Jonathon Berlin of the San Jose Mercury News, whom Mike stole the idea from).

What I love more than anything is the list of countries that have visited the Region 4 Blog: Brazil, China, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Senegal, Singapore, Spain, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. I'm told we're nearly as big in Germany as David Hasselhoff. These folks are, no doubt, finding the Region 4 Blog thanks to our good friends at the SND Update Blog, which links directly to us.

The states that have dropped by to show Region 4 some love? Well, it's actually quicker and easier to list the ones that have NOT been here yet: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. Got friends in those states? Spread the word and spread the love!

Why is this important? Well, it's fun for me to brag about, no doubt. But YOU GUYS are the contributors to this site. It's news about YOU that is getting out to the entire world. And it can keep happening on this fairly massive scale so long as you continue to contribute. Send me your news. Send me your member moves and promotions. Send me cool ideas happening at your paper. Send me fun stuff you're doing on your Web sites. I want it all!

To celebrate our pending world domination, I've rewritten the lyrics to the Red Hot Chili Peppers song "Around the World."

All around the world
Region 4 makes time
Rompin and a stompin
'Cause it's in its prime
Born in the north
And sworn to entertain ya
The Blog is big in
The state of Pennsylvania

I try not to brag
But I must warn ya
'Bout the Blog bein'
Big in California
Alabama baby
Said 'Where are ya?'
Good God Utah.
We wish we knew ya

I know, I know for sure
Region 4 is getting big around the world
I know, I know it's you
You link to us and then we say 'We rule.'

OK, OK. Go ahead and laugh. I'm workin' on it.

Keep up the love!

Attention College Students:Get your butt to Beantown!

2007-04-23T23:45:00.000-06:00

Great big news from the Society for News Design's fall workshop in Boston today.

There will be a FREE Student Session on Thursday, Oct. 11, for all registered student attendees!

And let me tell you, if you're a college student looking to keep honing your skills in the ever-changing world of news design, this Student Session is for you. If you need your portfolio reviewed for some tips on how to keep improving, this Student Session is for you. If you need to network with some professional visual journalists who were right where you are not that long ago, then this Student Session is for you.

Good friend of Region 4 Kristin Lenz of the Hartford Courant (and SND Region 1 Director, BTW), has taken the reins of this Student Session and, in cooperation with SND Boston site chair Dan Zedek of the Boston Globe, has some great stuff planned that you do not want to miss.

Portfolio review session: Have your work looked at by the experts in intimate group sessions featuring SND judges and perennial winners at SND's Best of Newspaper Design competition.
Taking your paper online: It was just a year ago that Syracuse grad Jared Novack was exactly where you are right now - in college, wondering where his first job would take him. Now he's an interactive designer for the Houston Chronicle, and he'll teach you tips and tricks for getting your newspaper online.
Exploring type: Becoming an expert in the use of typography can take years. But you'll get a headstart with a session from the Font Bureau's David Berlow.
Building your brainstorming skills: This is a session that everyone can get new ideas from, no matter your skill level or experience level. Join your peers in mastering the fine art of brainstorming.

So that's the Student Session - again, FREE with your paid student registration. Looking to get some financial assistance to make attending easier? Apply for a student member travel grant - another wonderful perk of your SND student membership!

And by all means, you should head over to the SND Boston official site and learn all about participating in the second Intern competition. The deadline is May 25 to get your application in. Juniors and seniors as of Fall 2007 are eligible to apply. And keep watching that students' area for a list of the professionals who will be part of the critique sessions!

Download the SND Student Session PDF!

Region 4 Spotlight v. 1.9Mark Koenig, Indiana Daily Student

2007-04-21T13:09:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, the Region 4 Blog sat down with Indiana University's Mark Koenig to talk about visual plagiarism and finding sources of inspiration and creativity.

Today, we're bringing you the latest installment of the Region 4 Spotlight to find out even more about Mark, who was named the Student SND Designer of the Year in 2006 and was the runner-up this year. He'll be sticking around in Region 4 this summer to intern at the Indianapolis Star.

But enough small talk. Let's meet Mark Koenig.

Vital Stats
Current Title: WEEKEND Art Director.

Positions you've held at the Daily Student: Art Director, WEEKEND Art Director, Design Chief, Assistant Design Chief, Senior Designer, Designer, Creative Marketing Designer and New Media Chief.
Internships you've had and what you did there: Herald-Times (Bloomington, Ind.), design intern. I designed sports and features fronts, The Scene (weekend tab) cover and an assortment of locator maps and edits to AP graphics.
Where are you from originally?: All over central Indiana, but most recently Fishers. I was born in Marietta, Ga.

Workin' For a Living
From where do you draw your creative inspiration?: Usually anytime that I watch a movie, listen to an album or read a book that knocks me on my butt, I feel lazy and want to create something. Same thing goes for news design. If I see a photo illustration that I really like, I usually open up Photoshop and see if I can reproduce it. Then I'll try and use some of the things I learned from that in my next design.
Let's say you get in a funk. What do you do to get the creative juices flowing again?: I try to find people who are doing work that's a lot better than mine. I'm a pretty competitive person, and when I see someone else kicking my butt, it usually gets me going.
What project so far in your design career are you most proud of?: I started to take design a lot more seriously the year before last (fall 2005) when I began to design more sports pages. I've always been a big sports fan and took the approach of "What would I want to read in a sports section?" The actual design elements were lacking a lot, but I feel as though those early pages were the ones that probably best benefited the reader. If I had to pick one project in particular, it would be our 2005 Big Ten football preview. I helped the sports desk come up with different categories for the writers to predict winners in and just had a lot of fun with it.
What project do you most wish you could use Apple-Z on and do it all over again?: A lot of them. The one that stands out the most in my mind was the Little 500 special section cover from last year. I designed that without really knowing what exactly I wanted to do. I didn't have any sketches beforehand, and instead just started with a blank InDesign document and went to work. I thought there were some good elements in the page, but was really unhappy with the headline treatment and just the overall look of the page.
What is your be all, end all, ultimate career goal?: Work for a paper in a city with A LOT of good sports to cover. I like designing features pages, too, but sports are what get me going and I would love to work in a place that has a steady supply of sports to keep me occupied.
What papers do you most enjoy seeing the work of?: It's a predictable response, but too many to list at once. The Columbus Dispatch is definitely one of my favorites. The Buffalo News, Plain Dealer, Publico, Minneapolis Star-Tribune and the Boston Globe are all papers that I really enjoy.
What visual journalists do you search for most frequently at NPD?: Hugo Pinto, Todd Bayha, Vince Chiaramonte, Martin Gee, Andrea Levy, Jason Fletcher, Emmet Smith, Derek Simmons and Brian Gross.
You can sit down with three visual journalists and pick their brains about the business, their careers, their advice to you, etc. Who are they going to be?: Todd Bayha, Vince Chiaramonte and Brian Gross. Although, I would have to hire Andrea Levy to shoot the sit-down.
What's next for Mark Koenig?: I'm interning at the Indianapolis Star this summer. That is about as far as my future is mapped out so far.

Getting Personal

What's your favorite journalism-related movie?: I am more than somewhat ashamed to admit that it is "Newsies."
You're stuck on a desert island with a solar-powered entertainment center. What movies would you have with you?: "Sin City," "Little Miss Sunshine," "Shawn of the Dead," "Ironfist Pillage," "The Incredibles" and "I Heart Huckabees."
Who would play you in a movie based on your newspaper career?: Ethan Embry, also known as Mark from "Empire Records." (Editor's note: While we loved "Empire Records," we love Ethan Embry the most in "Can't Hardly Wait." Oh – and then there's his turn as the fourth Rusty Griswold in "Vegas Vacation." Vintage. Just vintage. We'll never look at Mark Koenig the same again!)
What's kickin' around in your iPod lately? Name a few artists at the top of your playlists: I'm sad to say that I don't have an iPod. At the top of my iTunes library, however: Beck, Modest Mouse, Blackstar, Neil Young – and "Rock with You" by Michael Jackson usually goes on repeat for a while.
What are your hobbies outside of the newspaper life?: I like to watch pretty much all sports (except hockey; I just never got into it). I like to play baseball (which has turned into slow-pitch softball recently), racquetball and ultimate Frisbee. Other than sports, I really love to draw and have a pretty serious addiction to EA Sports' college football games.
The coolest city in the world and why: I haven't been to too many places, but my favorite city I've visited would have to be Boston. I really like the atmosphere there, and the fact that they're obsessed with the Red Sox. Baseball's a pretty boring sport to watch and anyone that can be that obsessed with a team that had let them down so many times gets a lot of respect from me. Although, I don't know how long I'd last there while rooting for my SUPER BOWL CHAMPION INDIANAPOLIS COLTS. Could get ugly.
Where have you never been, but would love to visit some day and why?: A bowl game that IU is playing in. I think I'm one of 17 actual IU football fans, and would love to see them play past November.
You can sit down to dinner with three people and pick their brains about LIFE IN GENERAL. Who are they going to be?: My grandfather, Spencer from "The Hills" and Peyton Manning.

Of brains, braun and ... more brains

2007-04-20T09:53:00.000-06:00

This is a tale of two designers, one an extremely talented college student about to graduate, the other an increasingly grizzled veteran. Or something like that. Both are small-town boys with big-time aspirations. Both are Hoosiers. Both are sports nuts.

And apparently, both of them love brains.

Here are the nuts and bolts of what this is all about:

IU Daily Student designer Mark Koenig designs a Big Ten Tournament preview sports cover featuring a "basketball brain," above left, in mid-March. He posts it at NewsPageDesigner.com.
Times of Northwest Indiana design director Matt Erickson (that's me, by the way, your Region 4 Director and host here), finds out late in the game that the paper will put out an MLB season preview tab – and it needs to be done quickly. And since the section has no true "cover story," there needs to be a concept. Erickson reads the section's stories on the Cubs and White Sox managers, both of which discuss the mentality it will take to go all the way. He says to sports design team leader Ram Luthra, "Maybe it's like a 'Mind of the Managers' thing, huh?"
The rest is history. Erickson cobbles together a "baseball brain" page, never knowing Koenig's basketball brain page existed. Erickson is alerted several days later after posting the baseball brain page at NPD.
Then, everyone's favorite "Wordhawk" calls Erickson out at his Web site as a visual plagiarist.

So let me first say that I never saw Mark's page before my brain page came together. Had I ever seen it, I'd have steered so clear of doing anything remotely similar that it wouldn't have even been funny. The visual plagiarism talk the last few years is serious enough and I have too much to lose to ever pull a stunt like that. Plus, if I was going to steal an idea, I'd make it better. And no way is my brain page better than Mark's!

So I got together with Mark and we had a little discussion about our brain pages, about having similar ideas in the age of visual plagiarism and about where he's headed next. And about movies.

Tomorrow, you'll get Part 2 of my Q&A with Mark. So don't miss it!

Matt Erickson: So, Mark ... Indy Star this summer. That's sweet.
Mark Koenig: Yeah, I'm pretty excited. I tried to get an internship there last sumer, but missed out. But things came together this summer.
ME: (Short pause in Q&A chat dialog) ... Sorry 'bout that ... had to take a call from the wife, who is also our copy desk chief at The Times. Guess what we talk about most of the time?!?
MK: Drywall? I know what you mean though. My girlfriend got her undergrad in journalism and stayed in it for a year before she realized it wasn't for her. Now she's going back to get her MBA, but we stil talk a lot about newspapers and she's pretty good at pointing out anything that's wrong with my pages.
ME: As she should. Kerry is my best - and worst - critic. She'll tell me something's great when I don't think it's good enough, but she'll also call it like she sees it even if I'm gung-ho that it can't get any better. Now that I don't do as much anymore, I don't get that as much. So ... On to the brains?!?
MK: Sounds like a plan.
ME: So take me through the process of YOUR brain page. You knew what the story was going to be – did you come up with the visual plan based on that, or was it a combo of you and the writer? What's the scoop? Give me the lineage.
MK: I started talking to the sports editor early in the week to see what angle the basketball writers were going to take. He told me that they'd know after (IU coach Kelvin) Sampson's press conference in the middle of the week. What they got out of that press conference was that Sampson said at this point in the season, the game is a lot more mental. Basically that the team needed to be strong mentally to play in the postseason. At this point, the editor pretty much gave me free reign to go wherever I wanted, and I thought the straight-forward combination of brains and basketball would work the best.
ME: Seems simple enough. So what was the reaction from the sports editor when you told him what you wanted to do? Obviously he was cool with it -- but was he pretty excited? Could he visualize it before you started to execute it? Or did you execute it and then show him?
MK: I just started to put it together in Photoshop and showed him when it was finished. He was really pleased with it.
ME: As he ought to have been – it's really a fantastic idea, and the execution seems pretty flawless. How long did it take you to do the Photoshop work with the basketball and the brain? And how long did it take you to find THE perfect images to use?
MK: It actually was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I would say that it took me about 1-1 1/2 hours to do the Photoshop work. I'd designed another page earlier in the week with a manipulated basketball, so I already had that image. So, it just took about 10 minutes of searching on iStockphoto.com to find an image of a brain that would work.
ME: I know all about the iStock brain searching function, obviously! OK ... so you've got this great brains-and-basketball page. You're totally happy with it. What happens when you're checking out stuff at NewsPageDesigner and you see ... another brains page with a similar concept, but a different sport? When did you see my brains page, and what was your initial reaction? Be honest ... it won't hurt my feelings!
MK: I saw your page when I as browsing pages on NPD. It must have been pretty shortly after you posted it, because it was at the top of the page. My initial reaction was that the idea must have been done before either of us did it. I mean, if the same idea is executed almost identically twice within a matter of weeks, how many times must it have been done before?
ME: Interesting point. I can tell you that when it was pointed out to me that yours was out there, I was sick to my stomach. I honestly hadn't seen it, and when I did, I wanted to throw up because I just imagined this backlash – another visual plagiarism thread over at VizEds, ya know?
MK: Yeah, but these two aren't nearly the same as the other pages that had been questioned before. Or nearly as similar, that is to say. I mean, when you look at those Marlboro pages, you could just tell right off the bat that it was lifted from the Pilot's page – same imagery, same typography, same layout. All this had was a similar image
ME: Well, nonetheless, I was upset. And then I was kinda pissed off that it had happened – mad that the stupid section didn't have a true cover story, leaving us to invent something to begin with. And then, ultimately, I was completely envious because yours is executed so damn well and looks fantastic, and mine was borne almost out of desperation and looks pretty plain-Jane by comparison. So mad props to you for being out there with it first – or at least first for this particular era – and being out there with a beautiful page that I know drew some people into those Big Ten tourney stories.
MK: Thanks. I was really happy with how the page turned out, so it's nice to hear that others appreciated it too.
ME: I know the infamous Wordhawk appreciated it – he posted the two of them at his site and called me out for being the second sports brain page on the scene this spring! What a nice guy he is.
MK: Yeah, I've always thought he was a sweetheart.
ME: He's a great guy. Very supportive.
MK: Not to mention productive.
ME: OK ... so we've got your brains page. We've got my brains page. They happened independently of each other. But it still brings up some interesting questions beyond just two people who happen to have the same type of idea near the same time as each other. With NPD and the SND annuals, the temptation is certainly out there for younger designers, or any of us, really, to go there looking for ideas. Talk about where your creativity comes from and talk about how you manage to not use NPD or the annuals as a fall-back when you're coming up idea-less.
MK: Well, as far as the annuals go, I think that I've flipped through one edition very briefly. I've never really thought much about it, but I'm sure it's been somewhat helpful. Especially because I do check out NPD just about every day and it's really hard to see a great page and not use it in your own page. I was told by a designer a while ago that whenever he's looking for ideas he looks everywhere but NPD. So usually when I'm struggling for creativity I'll look at different type books or magazines or just anything. More times than not, however, I'll see something that inspires me before I'm looking for inspiration. Take tonight for example. I just saw "Grindhouse" and was floored by the attention to detail on the part of the directors in making the film as vintage as possible. When you see someone do something really creative and execute it perfectly, you just want to go out there and do something that knocks people on their ass.
ME: Oh, absolutely dude. I was thinking the same thing during "Grindhouse." I mean, the little trailers, the scratches and dust on the film, the flickering and skipping in parts of the film ... all those little things were great.
MK: Yeah, you can tell they had a lot of fun making the movie.
ME: I'd love to get (Quentin) Tarantino and (Robert) Rodriguez to come talk to visual journalists about their creative process and how the attention to detail is something that cuts across any visual platform.
MK: Yeah, I usually find that movies get me the most excited about doing something design-wise. There are just so many movies out there that push the envelope and do something that hasn't been done before, it's hard to not get inspired. I really loved "Sin City." When I saw that, I was working on a page about a soccer player named Lee Nguyen (pronounced win), and thought that it would be a lot of fun to play off the movie. Same thing with "300." I just wish I'd seen it before our paper ran the review of it so that I could have begged the editor to put it on our tab cover.
ME: "Sin City" is amazing. Recently, I really loved the visual effects they used in "Stranger Than Fiction." That got me really excited. And I loved the opening titles for "Casino Royale." I'll turn to movies all the time for opening title sequences for inspiration. That's a passion of mine to watch for.
MK: I haven't seen "Casino Royale," but I know exactly what you mean about "Stranger Than Fiction." I had no idea that was going to have the visual effects it did. I've been taking a visual editing class this semester, and assumed that I could try and do something like that in one of my projects. Let's just say that I'm not as good at maniuplating moving pictures as I am at the ones that stay in one place.
ME: So where would you rank your brains page on your all-time list of things you've done?
MK: That's tough. I've received a lot of positive feedback on it, but I still look at that illustration and wish I could re-do parts of it. Mainly, the shadow wasn't as smooth as I would like. On my all-time list of pages, I would probably put it in the Top 5. It's tough, though, because when I look back at the pages I've designed, I always look back at the process more than the final product. And this page came together surprisingly smoothly, so I don't always think of it in the same light as the pages that I gave me a lot of headaches before all was said and done.
ME: Funny how that works once in a while, huh? Makes you appreciate the ones that come together easily, though, in the long run. Start stringing together year after year of work, and you'll realize one day that the easy successes are a nice karmic payback for the times you had to work your ass off when it should've been easier!
MK: Yeah. I guess I'm still not completely sure of myself. So, if something seems too easy to be true, then it must be. It's almost like if I don't spend a couple days working ont it, then there must be something that I still needed to do. I'm sure you're right though.
ME: OK, so on the visual plagiarism front ... let's say you COULD copy one idea that you've ever seen. And get away with it. What would you copy and why? (In other words, what's your favorite page or idea of all time?)
MK: I really hate these questions. Because there are so many great ideas that it's hard to pick just one. But, that's such a hackneyed response that it sounds fake. If I have to pick just one, though, I'd probably have to go with Todd Bayha's football preview from a few years back. The one with the grids that was copied by every sports designer. That's the kind of page where you see it, and it's impossible to get it out of your head when you're brainstorming your own page. No matter what idea or illustration you come up with, it pales in comparison to that one.
ME: Todd is brilliant and really raised the bar for everyone when it comes to poster-quality pages. And you're right – it's hard not to be influenced by his style.
MK: Yeah, I wound up just completely recreating a couple of his pages on my own just to get it out of my system. I don't think it worked completely, though, because I had a few pages that looked as though they were a poor-man's hybrid of his pages and Vince Chiaramonte's.
ME: I think that's a healthy exercise, though. There have been pages that I've seen and been in love with, and I set out at home to replicate it as closely as I can. In fact, I've done it with some of Todd's poster pages to teach myself new and better Photoshop skills.
MK: That's how I taught myself to use Photoshop. There was an adviser here who showed me how to use the pen tool, and from there I started trying to reproduce pages and illustrations that I'd seen. Then, when I felt as though I knew enough to try my own ideas, I went to work.
ME: That's definitely a good training method. No question about it. OK, dude. I think we've got enough for the brains Q&A portion. Unless there's anything else you can think of that you want to mention.
MK: I think we covered it pretty well.
ME: I agree. Thanks for doing it, man. I think it'll be pretty cool ...
MK: Don't mention it. I always enjoy talking shop. And as my girlfriend just corrected me, I like talking about my own work. How do you make the bashful smiley face?

Again, stay tuned tomorrow, folks, for a more standard Q&A with Mark Koenig!

We're just 10 days away from the Tucson Quick Course!

2007-04-18T09:57:00.000-06:00

You've heard me talk about this one before, and you should've gotten an e-mail from the SND office, but I've got to remind y'all about the great training opportunity happening next week in Tucson, Ariz.

The good peeps at the Arizona Daily Star are hosting a Quick Course on April 28, chaired by former Region 4 superstar Mike Rice, and it's guaranteed to give you a leg up when it comes to multimedia.

If you're like me, you're watching all this multimedia stuff happening all around you and wondering what it's going to take to get on the bandwagon. Well, this Quick Course will give you a chance to get with the program.

Here's a quick look at what you're gonna get out of this:

Tim D'Avis, Online Director for the Quad-City Times: Video & Multimedia - Getting Started. An overview of building video and multimedia operations for your Web site.

Kori Rumore, Assistant Visual Team Leader/Graphics for the Arizona Daily Star: Flash in 50 Minutes. In less than an hour, you'll get a full-blown, hands-on introduction to Macromedia Flash. Prepare to be the envy of your IT Department.

Andrew Satter, Online Videographer for www.azstarnet.com and the Arizona Daily Star: Video basic training. The demand for online video has increased dramatically. Help your newspaper get into the game.

Len DeGroot, Graphics Director for the South Florida Sun Sentinel: The Next Step in Interactive Graphics. Learn how to incorporate video, audio and 3-D in your projects. And learn how to develop a good process to avoid common pitfalls.

Apple Inc.: Media Rich Podcasting Hands-on Training. Journalists will see how easy it is to combine digital photos with audio and video clips to deliver an engaging experience for news-hungry audiences. Three hours of hands-on training from an Apple expert!

Like I said, you're not going to want to miss out on this learning opportunity. It's only $95 for SND members – and that's a ridiculous value when you consider Apple is providing three hours of hands-on training.

I'll be there. Will you? Remember the offer I made – any SND member who attends and mentions this blog item or any of the pitches I've made at places like VizEds.com gets a free drink, on me, at the after-party.

Speaking of the after-party, the Region 4 Blog has learned there will be, in the grandest of SND traditions, KARAOKE! And you haven't lived until you've seen Mike Rice on the mike singing "Tiny Bubbles" by Don Ho.

So head on over to SND.org and get signed up ASAP! You can still get reasonably priced airfare – I'm flying out of the Gary/Chicago Airport for under $250 to Mesa, Ariz., and renting a car for $75 for the short drive to Tucson. Get in touch with me if you wanna make it a plane-pool and car-pool!

Toledo Blade: Thoughts on moving forward

2007-04-16T19:06:00.000-06:00

Luann Sharp, AME/Administration and spokesperson for The Blade in Toledo, Ohio, gave the Region 4 Blog some comments Monday on the mentality inside the newsroom in the wake of the Allan Detrich controversy.

Detrich, you'll recall, digitally altered an A1 news photo, was caught, admitted it, claimed it was an honest error, was suspended during an investigation, resigned the next day and then had all the photos he had submitted in 2007 looked into by The Blade. The result: He had digitally altered an astonishing 79 photos out of more than 900 submissions since January – 8.3 percent of his submissions, or an average of more than one digitally altered photo for every work day, assuming a 5-day week.

Given opportunity to talk to the Region 4 Blog, Detrich declined to comment on the record. Sharp, however, was kind enough to talk to us about the situation the day after the paper made its major announcement on the findings.

Here's her comments, verbatim:

"The most challenging part of this whole process has been one of education. Some readers questioned why we felt the issue was so important. Even a handful of staff members thought we overreacted to the whole matter.

Our focus has been to point out that our photographers are journalists, too. They show readers what happened, warts and all. We can't accept anything less.

Our photography staff has been tremendous. They are disappointed that a co-worker altered photos and are firmly behind us as we try to explain to the rest of the staff and our readers why we must have zero tolerance for digitally altering photos. They take their job responsibilities very seriously, and put their (and our) credibility on the line every day. This has been embarrasing for them, too, and they are firm in their position that this isn't acceptable from news/sports photographers.

We have agreed that we'll do more spot-checking of work submitted for publication, and will schedule more one-on-one time with photographers, walking through their shots and offering suggestions. With the ability to send electronically, it is easy to feel isolated from the rest of the photo department, so we will try harder to establish a sense of "team" among our
photographers so they feel comfortable sharing ideas and issues."

Again, the Region 4 Blog sends sincere thanks to Luann for sharing this with us.

UPDATED! Blade editor: Detrich altered 79 photos since January; paper 'embarrassed'

2007-04-15T20:16:00.000-06:00

The results are in from the Toledo Blade investigation into former photographer Allan Detrich's work. And they don't paint a very forgiving picture for the man who alleged that the one that got him caught was a one-time thing and a simple mistake.

So I don't bury the lead, I'll tell you right away that the Blade reported Sunday that since January, of the 947 photos Detrich submitted to the paper, 79 of them had been digitally altered. And that's only since January. Read on for the full details.

Bear in mind, Detrich is a one-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and he's won Ohio's Photographer of the Year award four times.

Reached by the Region 4 Blog via e-mail on Sunday afternoon and given the opportunity to tell his side of the story, Detrich asked for his privacy to be respected and offered up the expected "No comment."

A refresher on what we knew going into Sunday:

On March 31, the Blade published a photo from Detrich on A1 depicting the Bluffton University baseball team in a prayer circle near banners of teammates who died in a March 2 bus crash.
The game was widely covered by Ohio media, and, according to Blade vice president and executive editor Ron Royhab's Sunday column, when photographers from the Dayton Daily News were comparing photos from the game taken by all papers, they discovered Detrich's photo was mysteriously missing a pair of legs beneath one of the banners. The NPPA was alerted, and the editor of NPPA's magazine alerted Royhab.
After allegedly denying knowledge of the doctoring, Detrich admitted that he Photoshopped out the pair of legs from beneath the banner, but swore that he did so for personal use - he said he intended to make a print of it to hang in his home, and that he accidentally submitted the altered version to the paper.
On April 6, Detrich was suspended by the Blade while the paper conducted an investigation. On April 7, Detrich resigned from the paper, saying on his personal blog that he had tired of the newspaper business and that he planned on doing more work with the storm-chasing organization he's a part of. The Blade also published a correction and apology to readers that day.
The paper then began an investigation into its photo archive to see if this was more than a one-time fluke incident. And apparently, it was not. Far from it.

In Sunday's Blade, Royhab wrote of the paper's findings. The investigation was conducted by director of photography Nate Parsons, and the results are staggering, to say the least.

Rumors had circulated in the Blade newsroom, according to published reports on the NPPA's Web site, that the paper had found "dozens" of "suspicious" photos from Detrich.

The numbers as reported in Royhab's column Sunday? Since January alone, Detrich filed 947 photos. Of those 947, 79 were found to have been digitally altered. The breakdown:

79 of 947 of Detrich's photos were digitally altered - 8.3% of his work. Not to editorialize, but if Detrich worked five days a week from January through the appearance of the March 31 photo that got him caught, he theoretically averaged more than one digitally altered photo submission per day.
27 of the 79 appeared in the newspaper as well as ToledoBlade.com
31 of the 79 appeared exclusively at ToledoBlade.com
21 of the 79 were not published either in print or online

Straight from Royhab's column:

The changes Mr. Detrich made included erasing people, tree limbs, utility poles, electrical wires, electrical outlets, and other background elements from photographs. In other cases, he added elements such as tree branches and shrubbery. Mr. Detrich also submitted two sports photographs in which items were inserted. In one he added a hockey puck and in the other he added a basketball, each hanging in mid-air. Neither was published.

Royhab went on to say the paper is "embarrassed" by the entire situation, and that "it is impossible to make sense of why this happened." He said Detrich's reputation as an award-winning photographer and the belief that the work he turned in always appeared to be "quality photojournalism" gave editors no reason to suspect him of any wrongdoing.

You can read Royhab's column in its entirety at ToledoBlade.com. And you can read NPPA's Sunday story on the findings, as well.

The Region 4 Blog is working on getting comments from visual journalists at the Blade for the inside scoop on the incident and their mentality moving forward. We'll keep you updated if we get the scoop.

Don't Miss the Daily Herald's Tim Broderick at NU on April 21

2007-04-14T11:45:00.000-06:00

Today we received word from our good friend Susan Mango Curtis of a fantastic free workshop next Saturday. Did ya catch that? FREE!

Mango, as she's known, is a former SND president and assistant professor for visual journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

So here's the scoop.

The free workshop is being hosted by Northwestern's SND student chapter and will feature Tim Broderick, the presentation editor of the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, Ill. Tim is going to speak about the paper's online coverage of the Juan Luna trial. Luna was charged in 2002 with taking part in the infamous 1993 Palatine Brown's Chicken murders.

This is a great opportunity for Region 4 folks to get some insight into multimedia and Web coverage. And again, it's FREE!

When: Saturday, April 21, at 1 p.m.
Where: Lab across from Mango's office, 2nd floor of McCormick Tribune Center.

Drop Mango an e-mail for further details and to RSVP!

Blade's investigation into former staff shooter to publish Sunday

2007-04-13T21:18:00.000-06:00

The questionable photojournalism ethics bug has struck again, this time at the Toledo (Ohio) Blade.

Blade photographer Allan Detrich submitted a photo from a Bluffton University baseball game earlier this month. The photo depicted the team in a prayer circle in the outfield near banners commemorating teammates who had perished in a tragic bus crash in Atlanta earlier this spring.

However, in the submitted photo, Detrich had cloned out a pair of legs beneath one of the banners. Several other Ohio newspapers had photographers at the scene at the same time. Their photos, clearly taken within seconds of Detrich's photo, have the legs obviously visible beneath the banner.

Detrich's explanation for this on his personal blog? Pretty much, oops. He says he duped the original photo and cloned the legs out in order to later make an enlargement for his personal home collection and didn't want the legs in for that one. But he claims he accidentally submitted the altered photo to the Blade instead of the original.

Detrich wrote on April 5 on his "Picture This" blog:

While transmitting on deadline, I sent the wrong photo, plain and simple. I made a huge mistake, and I have expressed my regrets to my editors at the Blade. It is something that will never happen again. I have been with the Blade since 1989 and have never been disciplined for anything in my career. ... I am not perfect, and I proved it this day. I did not do this to win a contest, have not entered any contests in a few years. I did not try to make this photo something it was not. I did it to produce a nice print for my office and it backfired on me. I have answered all questions about this mistake, and faced the people asking question willingly. I just hope people realize I am a top notch photojournalist and have given my all for my profession ... My friends know me and my ethics, and they have no doubt this was nothing more than a stupid mistake. I have been in the business since I was 17-years-old and learned by experience. I am not about to give up this hard work for an altered photograph. ... Hopefully everyone will live by the "Innocent until proven Guilty" saying and give me the benefit of the doubt ...

At the time of that writing, it appeared Detrich was hoping things would work themselves out. However, on April 7, Detrich resigned from the Blade to pursue other interests, he wrote in his blog – including being a storm chaser. He resigned one day after the Blade suspended him.

But the story doesn't just end there. According to a story at NPPA's Web site, the Blade will publish the results of a full investigation into Detrich's "suspicious," as the paper's AME/Administration called them, photo submissions in the past. That number is rumored to be in the "dozens," the NPPA story says.

Is Detrich innocent until proven guilty? Of course. And while everything seems to point to the ol' "if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck" theory, one thing can be certain – the Blade deserves some kudos for handling this with what seems to be complete transparency so far.

It is also worth noting that Detrich has picked up a truckful of awards and honors in his 25 years as a photojournalist - statewide, regional, national - according to his Web site.

Quick links to all sides of the incident:

Read Allan Detrich's "Picture This" blog here.
Visit Allan Detrich's Web site here.
Read the NPPA article on the Blade's upcoming findings here.
Read the NPPA story on the resignation here.
Read the Blade's story of the resignation here.

So stay tuned on Sunday, and we'll check back in with what the Blade has found out.

Region 4 winners in Mizzou's College Design Contest

2007-04-13T07:45:00.000-06:00

So, yesterday we saw the Region 4 winners in the SND/MSU Student Design Contest. And we've also introduced the world to our very own Student Designer of the Year, MSU's Travis Ricks, as well as our local runners-up. Today, we're taking a look at the big winners in the University of Missouri 2007 College Design Contest.

So let's get started. There are plenty of winners to announce from Region 4! Links to the winning pages are included where available.

Daily
News|Cover

1st Place: Allisence Chang, Michigan State University, "Soon, Five Will Become Two"
3rd Place: Travis Ricks, Michigan State University, "A Step Behind"
Honorable Mention: Adrienne Dye, Indiana University, "IU Mourns"
Honorable Mention: Travis Ricks, Michigan State University, "Senators Oppose More U.S. Troops"

News|Inside

2nd Place: Sara Mahoney, Ball State University, "Louis Inglehart Leaves Behind Memorable Legacy"

Features|Cover

1st Place: Travis Ricks, Michigan State University, "How Do Things Get Into Your Head?"

Features|Inside

1st Place: Amy Duncan, Ball State University, "Sexercise"
2nd Place: Amy Duncan, Ball State University, "Scoopalicious"

Sports|News

2nd Place: Travis Ricks, Michigan State University, "Icers Find Ways to Win"

Sports|Feature

1st Place: Mark Koenig, Indiana University, "Universlam"
2nd Place: Travis Ricks, Michigan State University, "An Uphill Battle From Here"
3rd Place: Travis Ricks, Michigan State University, "Chemistry On and Off the Court"

Photo Page|Spread

2nd Place: Sara Mahoney, Ball State University, "Cutting a New Image"
Honorable Mention: Mike Ley, Indiana University, "Looking Back"

Editorial|Commentary

Honorable Mention: Jen Hiatt, Indiana University, "Meet Your Match"
Honorable Mention: Adrienne Dye, Indiana University, "Hell and Parking"

Special Section or Magazine|Overall (published once a semester/quarter or less)

2nd Place: Nina Mehta, Jordan David, Josh Zurawski and Staff, Indiana University, "Inside"
3rd Place: Staff, Ball State University, "Decades"

Magazine or Tabloid|Spread

Honorable Mention: Jordan David, Josh Zurawski and Nate Bethea, Indiana University, "It's Not At All Like the Movies"

Special Section or Magazine|Cover (published once a semester/quarter or less)

1st Place: Mark Koenig, Indiana University, "New Breed"

Special Section or Magazine|Cover (published at least monthly)

1st Place: Jordan David, Indiana University, "Inside"
3rd Place: Nina Mehta, Indiana University, "Inside"

Information Graphics

2nd Place: Allisence Chang, Michigan State University, "Playing Politics"
Honorable Mention: Joe Collins and Adrienne Dye, Indiana University, "2006 Little 500 Race Guide"

Illustration

Honorable Mention: Brandon Stuck, Ball State University, "Dating Beyond Color"

Non-Daily

News|Inside

1st Place: Inkyung Chung, F Newsmagazine, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "Curating Activist Art at MASS MoCA"

Features|Inside

1st Place: Brigitte Caine, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "Let the Doors Remain Open"
3rd Place: Yunjung Cho, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "Fleshy, Squishy, Fantasy Heap"
Honorable Mention: Brigitte Caine, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "Balls to the Walls"
Honorable Mention: Yoonah Nam, F Newsmagazine, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "The Guiltiest Pleasures"

Sports|Feature

1st Place: Allie Kerfeld, Marquette University, "2007 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament"

Special Section or Magazine|Overall (published once a semester/quarter or less)

1st Place: Dimitry Tetin, Brigitte Caine, Win Tan, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "Ink"

Magazine or Tabloid|Spread

Honorable Mention: Brigitte Caine, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "Balls to the Walls"
Honorable Mention: Brigitte Caine, Yunjung Cho, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "Exposed Online"
Honorable Mention: Yunjung Cho, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "Fleshy, Squishy Fantasy Heap"

Special Section or Magazine|Cover (published once a semester/quarter or less)

The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "Ink"

Special Section or Magazine|Cover (published at least monthly)

1st Place: Brigitte Caine, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "F Newsmagazine"
2nd Place: Lin Tan, Amanda Sukenick, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "F Newsmagazine"
3rd Place: Brigitte Caine, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "F Newsmagazine"
Honorable Mention: Brigitte Caine, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "F Newsmagazine"

Newspaper|Overall

1st Place (tie): Staff, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, "F Newsmagazine"

Illustration

1st Place: Amanda Sukenick & Lin Tan, The School of Art Institute of Chicago
2nd Place: Natalie Edwards, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "The Guiltiest Pleasures"
3rd Place: Lin Tan, The School of Art Institute of Chicago, "Roots of Good and Evil"
Honorable Mention: Lin Tan, The School of Art Institute of Chicago

MSU's Travis Ricks the College Designer of the Year

2007-04-13T07:32:00.000-06:00

Major-league congratulations are in order for Travis Ricks, who was named the Daily College Designer of the Year at the 2007 College Design Contest sponsored by the University of Missouri!

Travis won a good handful of awards at the SND/MSU Student Design Contest, but this tops that, to be certain. Travis edged out last year's winner in the daily category, Mark Koenig of Indiana University. Third place went to Julie Wyatt of the Columbia Missourian, and Honorable Mention honors went to Allisence Chang of MSU.

So look at Region 4 – three of the top four, including the Designer of the Year award!

Congratulations to Travis, as well as Mark and Allisence, for their fine work throughout the year. Travis earns a trip to the SND Boston workshop this October, where he'll be presented with his award.

Over in the non-daily category, Brigitte Caine of the Art Institute of Chicago took Honorable Mention Honors in the Designer of the Year competition.

Coming next: A look at the Region 4 winners in the general competition for both daily and non-daily categories.

Until then, congrats to our winners in these big categories!

Winners of SND/MSU Student Design Contest announced!

2007-04-12T18:48:00.000-06:00

The results are in, and Region 4 has won big in the SND/MSU Student Design Contest!

For those who aren't in the know on this particular competition, it's a great one. The Edmund C. Arnold Society for News Design Michigan State University Student Affiliate hosts this thing every year, and every year it awards some of the greatest work by student designers in the country. Entries can be from student newspapers, but can also be from class projects.

This year's competition was judged by the good folks at the Detroit Free Press. Some of the more recent past competitions have been judged by volunteers from the National Post in Toronto (2006), The Times of Northwest Indiana (’05), Cleveland Plain Dealer (’04) and Chicago Tribune (’03). Take a look at some great pictures of the judges in action, as well as some of the talented students from MSU who made the trip – turning it into a fantastic educational experience at the same time.

So without further ado, let's take a look at Region 4's big winners! Where available, I'll link you to the pages at the designers' NPD portfolios. But keep checking back at the official site for images to come soon, plus info on the judges. To have a look at ALL the winners, head over to the SND/MSU site and check out the incredible future our industry has in store for it!

Front Page

• 1st Place: Carrie Hoover, Michigan State University, "Pest Problem"
• 2nd Place: Carrie Hoover, Michigan State University, "People Behind the Podium"
• 3rd Place: Allisence Chang, Michigan State University, "Beyond the Divide"
• Hon. Mention: Ian H. Besler, University of Illinois, "Chief Illiniwek"
• Hon. Mention: Nick Escobar, University of Illinois, "Whose House?"
• Hon. Mention: Travis Ricks, Michigan State University, "Centennial Celebration"
Region 4 Director Commentary: Mad props to MSU for really doing a number on this category. The State News has put out some of the best designed A1s in the country the last few years – and I'm not just talking about college dailies, I'm talking about everyone. Carrie Hoover was the winner of the first SND Intern competition at the Orlando workshop last fall, and she'll be interning at the San Jose Mercury News this summer. I believe the folks at the Merc know they're lucky to have her!

Features Page

• 1st Place: Lisa Bookwalter, Ohio University, "Seeds of Change"
• 2nd Place (tie): Alyce Jones, Ohio University, "Festival Latino"
• 2nd Place (tie): Allison Achberger, Ohio University, "Fine Dining"
• Hon. Mention: Alyce Jones, Ohio University, "Posh"
• Hon. Mention: Alyce Jones, Ohio University, "Holiday Diamond Fantasies"
• Hon. Mention: Maria Averion, Ohio University, "Comfest"

• Hon. Mention: Travis Ricks, Michigan State University, "Different Learning Styles"
Region 4 Director Commentary: This category is clearly all about Ohio U! Nearly a clean sweep! Alyce (pronounced "uh-lease," just FYI) and Alison were two of the student facilitators at the SND judging in Syracuse and I was lucky enough to get to see their portfolios. Alyce will be interning at the Boston Globe this summer, but she doesn't have her portfolio online yet. Alyce, do all these people a favor and show off your work, will ya?!? Allison was the subject of SND Region 4 Spotlight v. 1.2, so have a look at the interview in case you missed it!

Sports Page

• 1st Place: Tim Meko, Ohio University, "NCAA Tourney Preview"
• 2nd Place: Travis Ricks, Michigan State University, "Icers Find Ways to Win"
• 3rd Place: Travis Ricks, Michigan State University, "Chemistry On & Off Court"
• Hon. Mention: Angela Bianchi, Michigan State University, "One Last Chance"
• Hon. Mention: Angela Bianchi, Michigan State University, "Return to Sender"
Region 4 Director Commentary: More MSU and Ohio U dominance!

Art & Illustration

• 1st Place: Kirby Evans, Marietta (Ohio) College, "Addressing Child Obesity"
• 2nd Place: Hannah Levy, Ohio University, "Prison Overcrowding"
• 3rd Place: Carol North, Ohio University, "They Call Me Loser"
• Hon. Mention: Tim Meko, Ohio University, "Comfest"
• Hon. Mention: Lauren Kuntz, Ohio University, "Art in the City"
• Hon. Mention: Maria Averion, Ohio University, "Biological Clock"
Region 4 Director Commentary: Congrats to Lauren Kuntz – and check out the Region 4 Spotlight Q&A with her in case you missed it!

Infographics

• 2nd Place: Elizabeth Brown, Ohio University, "Cochlear Implant"
• 3rd Place: Maggie Lyon, Ohio University, "Tattoos"
• Hon. Mention: Jennifer Joseph, Ohio University, "iRevolution"
• Hon. Mention: Tim Meko, Ohio University, "Patagonia"
Region 4 Director Commentary: Maggie Lyon is another one of those ultra-hip Ohio U students who volunteered at the SND judging in Syracuse – and she, too, has been in the Region 4 Spotlight. Check it out!

Photojournalism

• 1st Place: Josh Birnbaum, University of Illinois, "Snow in April"
• 3rd Place: Aaron Bernstein, Indiana University, "IU Falls to Gonzaga"
• Hon. Mention: Josh Birnbaum, University of Illinois, "Uphill Battle"

Promotions

• 1st Place: Justin Armstrong, Marietta (Ohio) College, "Cost of Gas"
• 2nd Place: Lisa Bookwalter, Ohio University, "Festival Latino"

Region 4 Director Commentary: No Region 4 winners in the Advertisements category, but I can tell you after judging this competition a couple of years ago that this category and the Promotions category were two of the most fun to judge from a creativity standpoint. And I will tell you that students from Virginia Commonwealth SWEPT the category, so congrats to them for that. Apparently, if your paper is looking for top-notch advertising designers, you need look no further than VCU!

Special Sections

• 1st Place: Jordan David, Josh Zurawski, Nate Bethea, Indiana University, "Inside Magazine, Sex issue"
• 2nd Place: Staff, Indiana University, "Little 500 Race Guide"
• 3rd Place: Carrie Hoover & Nick Mrozowski, Michigan State University, "Still in the Shadows"
• Hon. Mention: Carrie Hoover, Michigan State University, "Today"
• Hon. Mention: Chelsea Wickline, Ohio University, "Islands, Tahiti"
Hon. Mention: Nina Mehta, Indiana University, "The Web That Binds Us"
Region 4 Director Commentary: I am lucky enough to have seen IU's "Sex Issue." In fact, my wife took it away from me and said I wasn't allowed to read it anymore! To say it's pretty racy is, ahem, an understatement. But it's pretty freaking cool, very tongue-in-cheek and well-planned and executed. And congrats to another SND fave, Nina Mehta, another of the SND Interns from Orlando. She'll be doing her internship at the Indy Star!

So there ya have it. Lots of great Region 4 winners in the competition. And thanks to the efforts of the good folks at Michigan State for running the show every year, especially friends of the program Cheryl Pell and Darcy Greene. Don't forget to head over to the official site to check out the winners, as well as links to past SND/MSU competitions!

Region 4 Spotlight v 1.8:Brian Kennedy, Ohio University

2007-04-12T10:12:00.000-06:00

Back again, peeps, with another episode of the Region 4 Spotlight! Today we're talking with another great Ohio U student - Brian Kennedy. You all know the story by now if you've read past Region 4 Spotlights with the Ohio U kids - Brian was part of the crew from Athens that managed to make it into Syracuse despite a big blizzard to volunteer at the 28th Edition SND competition. And like all of the student facilitators, he stepped right up like he'd been there for years. Now we're talking to him about his experience at the judging and plenty of other great topics. Read on!

Vital Stats
Title: Ohio University junior.
Publications you've worked for: The Post (Ohio U's student daily).
Positions you've held at those publications: Sports and inside page designer.
Expected graduation date: June 2008.

Your First SND Judging
What are the biggest lessons you took away from the SND judging in Syracuse?: Be simple, but creative. Take a chance with new ideas. Create order out of chaos.
What part of the judging do you believe will help you the most as your career gets started?: Talking to the professionals and hearing what they do daily in the industry has helped me understand what to expect. I think this knowledge will be the most important in the beginning of my career because I will be prepared and not be overwhelmed.
What was the coolest thing you saw at the judging?: Medal discussions, especially heated debates, were by far the coolest things to watch. These were the most educational experiences because I could hear what the judges think is good material and also have a visual example.

Getting Personal
Where are ya from originally?: I lived in Rochester, N.Y., until I was 16 and then moved to Cleveland.
What's the one thing you're proudest of so far in the field of pub design?: My work at The Post.
What is your ultimate career goal?: I would like to experience all aspects of publication design because you just never really know until you try it.
What's your favorite journalism-related movie?: SND's "25 Influential Moments in News Design." Editor's note: This is a very insightful DVD produced for and released at the 2004 San Jose workshop. Click the link to head over to the SND store to purchase it.
You're stranded on a desert island with five DVDs and a solar-powered plasma TV. What movies are you going to have with you?: "Cast Away," "Gone in 60 Seconds," "Fight Club," Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Star Wars: Episode III â€“ Revenge of the Sith."
You can have dinner with three designers and pick their brains about the business and how they do what they do. Who are they gonna be?: Saul Bass, Patrick Nagel and Matt Erickson. Editor's note: Brian really listed me here, though he has no reason to suck up to me. By the way, Brian, the check's in the mail!
What inspires you creatively?: Everything around me, because I want to explore all aspects of visual communications.
What's in your iPod lately?: AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Rolling Stones.
What are your hobbies outside of the business?: Hockey, lacrosse, golf and video games.

Region 4 Spotlight v 1.7:Lauren Kuntz, Ohio University

2007-04-03T10:28:00.000-06:00

It's time for everyone's favorite -- the Region 4 Spotlight! Today we meet yet another Ohio University standout -- Lauren Kuntz. Lauren stepped up and proved herself to be a great facilitator at the SND competition judging in Syracuse in February. And she wasn't afraid to hit the mike on Karaoke Night, either! Six weeks removed from her first SND judging experience -- and two short months away from graduation -- Lauren sat down with the Region 4 Blog to look back on the competition and to tell us all a bit about herself.

Vital Stats

Title: Student.
Publications you've worked for at Ohio U and elsewhere: The Albuquerque journal as a design intern; and The Post (Ohio U's student paper) as an infographics designer.
Expected graduation date: June 2007!
Personal Web site: www.LaurenKuntz.com
NewsPageDesigner.com portfolio: Coming soon to an Internet near you!

Your First SND Judging
What's the biggest lesson you took away from the SND judging in Syracuse?: The best pages are the ones that make you think, "Man, I wish I had thought of that!"
What part of the judging do you believe will help you the most as your career gets started?: Lunch and dinner, becuase those were the times that we got to sit with the professionals and pick their brains and network.
What was the coolest thing you saw at the judging?: The fashion inforgraphic by El Mundo.

Getting Personal
Where are ya from originally?: Westerville, Ohio.
What's the one thing you're proudest of so far in the field of pub design?: Taking a chance and moving to New Mexico to be a design intern (at the Albuquerque Journal).
What is your ultimate career goal?: To try new things and keep learning in a job that I love.
What's your favorite journalism-related movie?: "Spider-Man" -- he's a photojournalist!
You're stranded on a desert island with five DVDs and a solar-powered plasma TV. What movies are you going to have with you?: Only 5!!!! This is going to be hard ... "The Princess Bride," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Super Troopers," "Kill Bill" and "Sin City."
You can have dinner with three designers and pick their brains about the business and how they do what they do. Who are they gonna be?: Jillian Welsh, Martin Gee and the infographics team at El Mundo.
What inspires you creatively?: Pretty much anything.
What's in your iPod lately?: The songs from the Syracuse CD exchange and Fergie.
What's your dream publication to work at and why?: If I spoke spanish, El Mundo. Since I unfortunately don't, RedEye.
What are your hobbies outside of the business?: Haha – I knit. I am such an old lady.

The SICKEST Graphics workshop EVER.

2007-03-28T10:54:00.000-06:00

So I'm a little late to the party with this, and I apologize for that.

But it's time for me to get the word out there about an absolutely SICK infographics workshop and conference being held at Michigan State this summer.

Rather than give you all the details, I will simply send you to the site to read more about this great opportunity yourselves.

Or, you can also head over to the flourishing SND Update Blog to read some great tidbits about the conference/workshop and the speakers.

I will tell you that the list of speakers is perhaps the best that has ever been put together for something like this. And the fact that this is an infographics-only workshop and conference is pretty groundbreaking, too.

We have the great Karl Gude to thank for that. Karl is molding young minds at Michigan State after spending a while doing amazing work at Newsweek. The Conference on Information Graphics is the brainchild of Karl.

So here are the main points; go to the site links above for the fine print:

June 4-5, 2007: Conference on Information Graphics

Speakers

Matthew Ericson, The New York Times (yes, there are two Matt Ericson/Ericksons in SND!)

Bill McNulty, National Geographic

Kevin Hand, Newsweek

Dona Wong, Wall Street Journal

John Grimwade, Conde Nast Traveler (and in May, Conde Nast Portfolio)

Karl Gude, Michigan State University, formerly of Newsweek

Nigel Holmes, formerly of Time, now of NigelHolmes.com

To say this will be worth every penny is an understatement. And it's happening right here in Region 4! So no excuses, anyone! Please let me know if you are thinking of attending and we can talk about having you keep Region 4 posted on all the great happenings!

Region 4 Spotlight v 1.6:Andrea Levy, Plain Dealer

2007-03-27T11:12:00.000-06:00

Vital Stats
Title: Illustrator/Photographer.
Paper: The Plain Dealer, Cleveland.
Years at current paper: Seven.
Previous publications: El Paso (Texas) Herald-Post, The Morning Journal (Lorain, Ohio).
Educational background: BFA/Ohio University.
Where are you from originally, and where do you make your home now?: I am from Findlay, Ohio. I live in Lakewood, Ohio, now.
Family: I have three daughters: Hannah, 20; Samantha, 18; and Emily, 15.
Pets: A bossy cat.

Workin' For a Living
Where do you draw your creative inspiration?: From everywhere, actually. I tend to get excited about everything. Especially little things. I must have something connected improperly in my head. I spent five minutes photographing someone's coffee-spill stain on the pavement at Starbucks. I am so consumed with the way things look. I have such a visceral response to light and form. Reality never ceases to amaze me. In fact, I have a hard time shutting down. The connections are infinite to me.
Let's say you get in a funk and just wanna bag the whole thing. What do you do to get the creative juices flowing again?: I buy new music and eat chocolate.
What project in your career are you most proud of?: This last SND contest, I won an award for an illustration on AIDS. I originally worked for a long time on a completely different idea that was turning out to be pretty powerful. I had invested a lot of energy photographing and sketching. But all of a sudden I realized it wasn't really what I wanted to say. It didn't feel right. It was too complicated. So at the last minute, I just left the newspaper and went to paint. The new image was a lot less produced. It had a raw quality that I think partly conveyed my own anxiety about the topic, the deadline, etc.

You know, we can't help but leave a piece of ourselves in the art. It's so easy to turn away from that. It's so easy to become self-conscious, to hold back the more personal imagery, to be too careful. One misplaced comment from the wrong person can knock you off course. But I think it's that personal piece that actually turns out to be the most universal.

I really try to fight for my ideas. It's not at all comfortable for me either. I turn red, get short of breath and break out in hives, etc. So in this AIDS illustration, I show penetration (of sorts). As I was painting, I knew there was going to be some discussion about that. Later, I was in the editorial department explaining my image, which originally was a male, not a female. It was a small discussion with just a couple people UNTIL the words "anal sex" were spoken by me. No less than seven heads popped over the tops of their cubicles. Not kidding at all!! I had to laugh! That got everyone's attention! I find myself in the most ridiculous conversations!

But I love this paper. So open to things – just not without some serious discussion. The whole time I make an image, I work equally on the words I am going to use to explain and defend it.

What project in your career do you most wish you could use Apple-Z on and do it all over again?: I don't fret about anything once it's done. Who cares? I really don't look at them again. I like the making more than the product. Every single thing I do is faulty, could use improvement. Nothing's right. Life is what I work on. (Tomorrow there will be another assignment).
What is your be all, end all, ultimate career goal?: I want to be an artist instead of an illustrator. I want to decide what images I make about what I see and feel and think.
Your work amazes all of us. What papers do you look to do be amazed, yourself?: I tend to cocoon myself to a fault. I don't look at a whole lot because I don't want to unconsciously imprint other work. I don't want to become intimidated by it, either. I find it intimidating to look at too much. But I tend to be really moved by European illustration, (and) the photojournalists of the world amaze me.

Getting Personal
What's your favorite journalism-related movie?: I don't have one in particular.
You're stuck on a desert island with a solar-powered entertainment center. What movies would you have with you to watch when the sun goes down?: Oh, heck I don't know. I wouldn't be able to relax enough to watch. I can't now! I would be sharpening sticks, looking for Gilligan and stuff like that. I really can't answer because the truth is I have a hard time watching films because it makes me so restless to do bigger art. It makes me miserable. I get so frustrated I can't sit still. My daughters try to get me to watch things with them. Sometimes they sit on me and hold me down so I'll watch movies. I want a video camera of my own.
Who's going to play you in a movie based on your newspaper career?: I became a single mom the same week David Kordalski hired me for this job at the PD. It was a dark time for me but I was so determined not to fail. This time here has been through some of the most difficult times I have ever known. I can't tell you how grateful I am to be able to make art. Every single day I feel like it is a new opportunity. I am excited by the amazing chance for expression that we all have. It's been a challenge, a drama, and a damned bloody fight. I'd want someone tough to play me ... Sylvester Stallone?
What's kickin' around in your iPod lately? Name a few artists at the top of your playlists: Wolfmother, Black Eyed Peas, Iris DeMent, Beck, Tori Amos, Shostakovich.
What are your hobbies outside of the newspaper life?: My daughters mean everything to me.
The coolest city in the world and why: Cleveland Rocks!!!! Browns Town!
Where have you never been, but would love to visit some day and why?: The moon. I want to look at the Earth from a different perspective.
You can sit down to dinner with three people and pick their brains about LIFE IN GENERAL. Who are they going to be?: Oh, man! Not this question! I don't know. There are so many. Tutankhamen, Michelangelo, George Eliot.

Check out SND's new Update blog!

2007-03-24T22:04:00.000-06:00

Some major news from SND headquarters on Saturday, and you're all gonna love it!

Earlier today, thanks to the hard work of SND.org editor Kenney Marlatt (Region 4's Indy Star) and publications director Steve Dorsey (Region 4's Detroit Free Press), plus assists from secretary/treasurer Matt Mansfield (San Jose Mercury News) and president Scott Goldman (Indy Star), SND presents the brand spankin' new SND Update blog.

It's absolutely going to be a fantastic resource for all of us. And I certainly hope that if the Region 4 blog isn't the first stop on your daily Internet checklist, the Update blog will be.

By all means, please head on over there and check out this great new feature. It is here where you will be able to download your Update newsletter PDF as soon as it's available. No more nuisance of waiting for it to arrive on your desk at work -- and by the time it's there, the "Update" portion of Update is about six weeks old. It is here where you will be able to read breaking SND news and breaking industry news. It is here you'll be able to read about Society happenings outside of Region 4 -- just remember where your home base is here at the Region 4 site!

So please feel free to e-mail any of the gentlemen above with your comments and thoughts on the site, or just drop me an e-mail at any time and I will be more than happy to pass on your suggestions!

NPPA Awards for Region 4

2007-03-24T07:07:00.000-06:00

The National Press Photographers Association finished up its annual judging for the Best of Photojournalism competition. And I'm happy to announce that we've got some big winners from right here in Region 4!

But regardless of our "local" winners, checking out the NPPA results of the Best of Photojournalism 2007 (co-sponsored by our good friends at the Ohio University School of Visual Communication, by the way!) is must-viewing.

Best of Show, Single
For Region 4, the biggest news to come out of the judging is a Best of Show winner! Brian Hill of the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, Ill., won the coveted Best of Show award for an amazing and heart-wrenching image of a firefighter carrying a 2-year-old boy from the shore of the Fox River after he had been missing for three hours and was found, but too late. And by the way, the image also took top honors in the Domestic News category.

Conceptual Photographic Illustration
OK, let's just get right out there with it. I think they just ought to rename this one "The Andrea Levy Award for Conceptual Photographic Illustration." Seriously. Last year, Andrea, the absolute photo illo genius of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, won First and Second Place in this category. This year, she went out and topped that. She took First, Second AND Honorable Mention! She is THE dominant photo illustration force in the business right now -- and maybe EVER. And guess what? You lucky Region 4 members are going to get an EXCLUSIVE Region 4 Spotlight Q&A with Andrea in the next few days! Stay tuned! Major congrats to Andrea for her near-sweep!

Humor
Mark Black of the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, Ill., picked up an Honorable Mention in a fun category for his shot of a little pup named Muppet riding in a mini wagon behind a massive tractor during a parade.

Celebrity Picture Story
The Chicago Tribune's Pete Souza followed U.S. Senator and 2008 Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama to Kenya last summer. Obama was making the trip to Africa to visit his father's home village. The Celebrity Picture Story category looks like it was a tough one, to say the least. But Souza's work took home a well-deserved second place award.

Enterprise
I absolutely love Joseph Meier's Honorable Mention-winning photograph from the Daily Southtown in Tinley Park, Ill. I remember reading about this last fall -- this guy has a goose that has basically indoctrinated itself as a family pet. And anytime the guy goes out on his Harley for a motorcycle ride, the goose flies along with him, side by side! It's just crazy. And, not surprisingly, the goose has been named Harley by the family.

Local Portraits and Personality
Amelia Phillips of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette picked up an Honorable Mention for her portrait of a homeless heroin addict on the streets of Chicago, which was taken while she was an intern at the Kane County (Ill.) Chronicle.

Enterprise Picture Story (Smaller Markets)
Congratulations are in order for James H. Kenney, photojournliast-in-residence at Western Kentucky University. James finished second in the category for his photo story on Nigerian women suffering from vesicovaginal fistulas (VVF), which causes incontinence in many women who have given birth too early in life. It's a disease especially common in in many parts of Africa, and in some cultures, these women become social outcasts.

Congrats to all the Region 4 winners. And be sure to head over to the site to check out all the incredible photojournalism from calendar year '06.

Region 4 Spotlight v 1.5:Nicole Davis, Ohio University

2007-03-24T05:51:00.000-06:00

Ohio University's Nicole Davis, second from left, joins some of her classmates to listen in on one of the News judging team's medal discussions during the SND competition judging in Syracuse, N.Y., in February.

It's about that time again, kiddies -- time to go back into the Region 4 Spotlight. Today we're going to meet another Ohio University future superstar -- Nicole Davis. Nicole was one of the crop of OU students working as student facilitators at the SND judging at Syracuse University in February. And a few weeks after the judging, Nicole sat down with yours truly to reflect on the experience and tell us a bit about herself.

Vital Stats
Publications you've worked for at Ohio U and elsewhere: Internship at Whirl Magazine and the school newspaper, The Post.
Expected graduation date: June 2008

Your First SND Judging
What's the biggest lesson you took away from the SND judging in Syracuse?: "Context, Concept, Execution." In the graphics room, this was all that they stressed. It sounds obvious, because it is, but I know I don't think about it enough.
What part of the judging do you believe will help you the most as your career gets started?: There are many different ways to design something -- you just have to have the best one for your readers.
What was the coolest thing you saw at the judging?: The graphics. I couldn't pick just one -- there were so many that I wished I could compare my work to.

Getting Personal
Where are ya from originally?: Born in San Francisco, raised in Cleveland.
What's the one thing you're proudest of so far in the field of pub design?: My "Flipside" being published in the Columbus Dispatch.
What is your ultimate career goal?: I really want to be able to say that I've tried everything.
What's your favorite journalism-related movie?: "Newsies." It's a musical and I'm a dork.
You're stranded on a desert island with five DVDs and a solar-powered plasma TV. What are you going to have with you?: Seasons 2 through 6 of "Sex and the City." I've already seen Season 1 enough.
You can have dinner with three designers and pick their brains about the business and how they do what they do. Who are they gonna be?: I don't know ... George Rorick would be an amazing person to learn from. Editor's note: Click the previous link for some must-viewing on the career of the great George Rorick from the good folks at the Poynter Institute.
What inspires you creatively?: Music. Different music, different mood, different design.
What's in your iPod lately?: Nothing I'm ready to admit I have right now.
What's your dream publication to work at and why?: I'm not really sure, (but) maybe a travel publication.
What are your hobbies outside of the business?: Hmm ... Crafts. I love scrapbooking and taking pictures.

Region 4 Spotlight v 1.4:Maggie Lyon, Ohio University

2007-03-19T10:07:00.000-06:00

Ohio University's Maggie Lyon, right, talks to classmate Rachel Conn during a short break in the action at the SND judging in Syracuse, N.Y., last month.

Here we go again with another entry in the Region 4 Spotlight. Today we're going to meet another Ohio U student – Maggie Lyon. And like the other OU students we have been and will continue to profile, Maggie was a student facilitator at the SND judging at Syracuse University last month.

So gimme a drum roll for ... Maggie Lyon, Ohio University.

Maggie Lyon, Ohio University

Vital Stats

Title: Ohio University student in the Visual Communication school.

Publications you've worked for at Ohio U and elsewhere: None yet!

Personal Web Site: I will have mine set up in the fall.

Your First SND Judging

What's the biggest lesson you took away from the SND judging in Syracuse?: I took away a lot of lessons from the judging in Syracuse. I received a lot of new knowledge on what to do and what to avoid when designing. Also, the best thing I took away from this experience was the interaction with the professionals and their advice toward getting my name out there and (getting) a job in this industry.

What part of the judging do you believe will help you the most as your career gets started?: Seeing the medal discussions helped immensely for me. It was nice to get into the minds of the professionals for a weekend, and the next time I approach designing a page, I will have the judges' comments in mind.

What was the coolest thing you saw at the judging?: I absolutely loved the "Moda" informational graphic from El Mundo. I remembered their "cuerpo" infographic from last year's annual and I recognized right away that this was El Mundo's design. The two styles were completely different, but they achieve what I aspire to design in my own future. I could look at that page (or 8 pages) forever!

Getting Personal
Where are ya from originally?:Cincinnati, Ohio – born and raised!

What's the one thing you're proudest of so far in the field of pub design?: I am just proud to have that freedom of creativity with design and being able to utilize the computer skills I have acquired through my school to recreate the many different ideas I have in my head.

What is your ultimate career goal?: To have Matt Erickson's job ;). But seriously, I would like to be a creative or art director somewhere. Editor's note: These darn smart-alecky college kids ...

What's your favorite journalism-related movie?: That's tough for me. A good classic to watch would be "Citizen Kane" and see journalism in its formative stages.

You're stranded on a desert island with five DVDs and a solar-powered plasma TV. What movies are you going to have with you?: I'm not big on favorites, but if I had to choose five I would choose one from each genre – horror, drama (I love!), action, comedy and maybe throw a musical or a Disney movie in there. Here are some that I like: "The Life of David Gale" – I love Kevin Spacey, "Boondock Saints," "12 Monkeys" or "Se7en," if I chose a musical it would be "Moulin Rouge!," and one I like and haven't seen in a while – "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." I don't know if these are my favorites, but they will do.

What inspires you creatively?: Everything. I constantly have my eyes open for new ideas wherever I am. If I am walking to class or looking through a magazine, my mind is constantly searching for ways to improve things or absorbing things that I like that I see. I love seeing other people's work, but I do not like seeing too much of it because I feel that can stunt creativity in certain ways.

What's in your iPod lately?: My "most played" list consists of Mat Kearny, Snow Patrol, Nelly Furtado, Broken Social Scene, The All-American Rejects, Regina Spektor and Panic! at the Disco.

What's your dream publication to work at and why?: At this point I do not have a dream publication, I just want to have a job!!! My dream will grow as I get more involved in the field. Anywhere that is liberal with design and allows risks to be taken.

What are your hobbies outside of the business?: Soccer, working out, movies, reading, singing and dancing whenever and wherever.

Region 4 Spotlight v 1.3 | Rachel Conn

2007-03-14T09:16:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the next installment of the Region 4 Spotlight. We continue hitting the college circuit this time with another member of a really, really strong group of students from Ohio University's student SND chapter: Rachel Conn.

Rachel, like Allison Achberger, whom we met a couple of weeks back (sorry I've been AWOL for a while!), was part of a group of OU students who attended the SND judging in Syracuse as volunteer facilitators. And she's already cool in my book because of one of her answers below. But you'll have to read on to see what that is. (Hint -- my personal life credo for the last few years has been "What Would Larry David Do?").

So without further ado, let's meet future superstar Rachel Conn.

Though it looks like she's making a beverage run for a few people, Ohio U's Rachel Conn is shown collecting yellow "conflict" cups at the SND judging in Syracuse, N.Y., last month.

Vital Stats

Rachel Conn, Ohio University

Title: Student.

Publications you've worked for at Ohio U and elsewhere: Southeast Ohio Magazine, Page Designer (fall 2006); The Post, Infographic Designer (2004-05).

Expected graduation date: June 9, 2007.

Personal Web site: rachelconn.com

NewsPageDesigner.com portfolio: In the works ...

Your First SND Judging

What's the biggest lesson you took away from the SND judging in Syracuse?: Most of the successful pages basic design strengths that are consistant across any medium...creative approach, clear storytelling, flawless execution, strong typography, attention to detail...

What part of the judging do you believe will help you the most as
your career gets started?: The entire experience -meeting people from all over and making contacts, witnessing the judging, discussing the business...

What was the coolest thing you saw at the judging?: Medal discussions - sometimes design is so subjective, so it was cool to see how differently judges thought and why they pulled for different pages.

Getting Personal

Where are ya from originally?: Toledo, Ohio.

What's the one thing you're proudest of so far in the field of pub design?: Having spent four years creating a portfolio that I'm finally beginning to be proud of.

What is your ultimate career goal?: I don't exactly know the title, but I could say my goal as a professional would be to consistently create work I'm proud of. What and where changes frequently.

What's your favorite journalism-related movie?: "Almost Famous" or "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy."

You're stranded on a desert island with five DVDs and a solar-powered plasma TV. What movies are you going to have with you?: "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Garden State," "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Wet Hot American Summer" and at least one season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

You can have dinner with three designers and pick their brains about the business and how they do what they do. Who are they gonna be?: Stephanie Grace Lim, Rodrigo Sanchez and Joe Zeff.

What inspires you creatively?: My environment, art, music and kids.

What's in your iPod lately?: Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Shins, Beyonce – I have very eclectic tastes.

What's your dream publication to work at and why?: Right now, National Geographic Adventure magazine. It seems like a fun place to work. I would like to do primary research for stories and actually do some adventure traveling.

What are your hobbies outside of the business?: Camping, hiking, being outside, music (not making it, just appreciating it) and traveling as much as possible.

Region 4 Spotlight v 1.2 | Allison Achberger

2007-02-26T10:49:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the second installment of the Region 4 Spotlight. We're going to hit the college circuit for a while so I can introduce all of you to some of the best and brightest future visual journalists in the country.

Eight members of the SND student chapter at Ohio University in Athens were guests of Syracuse University students at the 28th Edition competition. Ohio University has the largest student SND chapter in the country, so congratulations are in order for that right off the bat. They were joined by one of their advisors, Terrence Oliver, who was a judge for SND's 23rd Edition, the first year I volunteered at the judging.

So without further ado, let's meet future superstar Allison Achberger.

Ohio U's Allison Achberger, right, gets some comments on her portfolio and advice from 28th Edition Competition judge Jamila Robinson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Allison Achberger, Ohio University

Vital Stats

Title: Ohio University Student.
Publications you've worked for at Ohio U and elsewhere: The Post (student newspaper).

Positions you've held at those publications: Advertising graphics designer.

Expected graduation date: June 9, 2007.

Personal Web site: Coming soon! (hopefully allisonachberger.com)

NewsPageDesigner.com portfolio: Also coming soon!

Your First SND Judging

What's the biggest lesson you took away from the SND judging in Syracuse?: That everyone looks at pages differently. Listening to the debates made me realize that two people can look at one piece completely differently.

What part of the judging do you believe will help you the most as your career gets started?: The contacts that I have made within the industry. I received some great advice and constructive criticism on my portfolio.

What was the coolest thing you saw at the judging?: Debates between judges on whether or not pages should get medals.

Getting Personal

Where are ya from originally?: Cincinnati, Ohio.

What's the one thing you're proudest of so far in the field of pub design?: A portfolio that I am becoming increasingly excited to share.

What is your ultimate career goal?: To always be innovative and never bored. I want to explore different areas to find where I will be happiest.

What's your favorite journalism-related movie?: "How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days." Suggestions? Editor's note: We'd suggest "The Paper," even though its harshest critics say it's unrealistic. And they don't get much better than "All the President's Men."

You're stranded on a desert island with five DVDs and a solar-powered plasma TV. What movies are you going to have with you?: "The Notebook," a season of "Friends," "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken," "The Family Stone" and "Mystic River."

You can have dinner with three designers and pick their brains about the business and how they do what they do. Who are they gonna be?: George Rorick, Andrea Levy and Scott Minister.

What inspires you creatively?: Nature. Mostly, I will be inspired very randomly.

What's in your iPod lately?: Mat Kearney, Gwen Stefani, John Legend and The Fray.

What's your dream publication to work at and why?: Not sure I have found it yet.

What are your hobbies outside of the business?: Friends of Big Brothers, Big Sisters and definitely enjoying my last year of school.

Michigan State Quick Course a big success

2007-02-10T11:38:00.000-06:00

Those of you who attended the Quick Course at Michigan State University in East Lansing yesterday know how valuable it was. And there was a nice, big group from not just across Region 4, but from places like Tennessee, Toronto ... and WASHINGTON! No kidding!

Those of you who didn't, we're sorry you weren't able to be there. Hopefully you can make it to the next one, even if it's outside of Region 4. Expect me to start plugging the May 5 Minneapolis Quick Course being chaired by my good friend Leslie Plesser of the Star-Tribune. For those of you in Wisconsin and some parts of Illinois and Indiana, it could be a well-worth-it road trip. And if you want to fly, airfare from the Midwest to Minny is usually quite affordable -- sometimes $100 or less. So start making your plans now.

But back to East Lansing ...

First off, please visit Region 4 superstar Ashley Dinges' blog and take a look at the cool video she put together from the QC. Thanks for doing that, Ash!

The sessions started with Chris Courtney and his high-energy "ALTs Rock" presentation. As many of you know, Chris (or Mixmaster CDC as I've always called him) is the design director at RedEye, the immensely successful Monday-Friday offshoot of the Chicago Tribune. Great thing is, RedEye used to be the little paper that could, sort of riding the Trib's coattails. Yes, it always had an identity all its own, but for the first little while, you almost had to say "Chicago Tribune RedEye." Now when you say RedEye, the whole industry knows what you're talking about. Chris' talk on how RedEye uses Alternative Story Forms to engage its readers -- and how papers of all shapes and sizes can do the same -- was a great way to start the day. I don't think Chris will mind me plugging his Web site, designhawg.com. Head on over there and check out some of his handout downloads from past Quick Courses and SND workshops. Or you can just snag his ALTs Rock handout right here.

The Salt Lake Tribune's Josh Awtry was up next, and while it can be tough to follow Mr. Courtney, Josh was absolutely up to the task. He preached his "Short-Form Gospel" and how we can all start taking steps to convert the naysayers in our newsrooms to understand the legitimacy and importance of telling stories in new ways. And I don't believe Josh will object to me sending you to his site, either: Awtry.com. There, you can download his "Guerrilla Tactics" handout. Or, you can save a step and get it here. But I do implore you to check out his site for other handouts from past stops on his whirlwind speaking tour. Preach on with that Short-Form Gospel, Brother Josh!

Karl Gude is a living legend in the world of infographics. There's really no other way to put it, but the chance to hear Karl speak and steal just a little bit of knowledge from him is worth the price of admission at any workshop you might attend. Karl spent 11 years doing infographics at Newsweek magazine before he got the urge to pass on all of what he's learned to the next generation of visual journalists -- he's now an instructor at Michigan State, and man, I hope those students know how lucky they are to have him there! Karl gave some insight into how he and the graphics department at Newsweek produced some of the best infographics in the world, and often on deadlines just as tight, if not tighter, than we feel at our daily papers. One of Karl's previous stops was at The National, the country's first all-sports daily newspaper and one of my first real love affairs with the art of newspapering. Check out his blog and read all about it. And then make it part of your daily reading ritual.

I had never met Jamila Robinson before Thursday evening, but I can say that meeting her and chatting with her for a brief time over a glass of wine and a double screwdriver (yes, your oh-so-classy host, me, enjoys himself a screwdriver every now and again) was one of the true highlights of my visit to the Quick Course. At times, I have rather enjoyed calling myself a "Jack of all trades, master of none" because I think it's good to be well-rounded. Well, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Home editor is a "Jamila of all trades, master of ALL." She speaks French, and we talked for a while about her love of Paris. She's a competitive figure skater. She has designed some amazing features pages in her career -- but she's always been a self-professed copy editor at heart. And when the time came for her to take her skills to the next level, she became the PD's Home section editor, where she literally has a chance to do it all. Jamilia's message was about how we've always asked writers and editors and copy desk folks to "think visually." And that's great and all -- but maybe we need to start thinking as editors at the same time. You need to add Jamila's site to your list of destinations for inspiration -- it's wonderful. And there, you can download PDFs from her sessions. The "Design Is a Tool to Tell Stories" PDF is a little large, so I will simply ask you all to snag it from her site. Jamila and the rest of the good people at the Post-Dispatch are not technically in Region 4. But since they can just about throw a rock from their office into Region 4 just across the Mighty Mississippi into Illinois, I think I need to petition the SND office to make St. Louis a part of Region 4! If nothing else, we'll make Jamilia our first "Honorary Region 4 Member"!

Steve Dorsey from the Detroit Free Press rounded out the speakers list. You'd think that with all Steve has talked about to thousands and thousands of journalists through the years, he'd start to run out of things to say. But the dude is just so entrenched in this life of newspapering that he's always got new ideas to share with the masses. Steve talked about the FreeP's "5 Things" daily feature on Page 2 and how it reinvents itself every day, on deadline. "5 Things" is an alternative story form that happens every day in the Free Press and can be about anything they want it to be. It's a great daily surprise for the readers -- and it seems like a bunch of fun for the designers, too. And that's never a bad thing.

Other highlights from the day:

* Dozens of papers got on-the-spot critiques and advice from the five great speakers, as well as Detroit News presentation editor Rick Epps, Kalamazoo Gazette design director and 28th Edition SND competition coordinator Kris Kinkade -- and even yours truly chimed in a time or two.
* There were plenty of door prizes given away -- swag bags from the Post-Dispatch, great books produced by the Free Press, Michigan State "Sparty" mascot dolls and bears. So big-time thanks to the speakers who donated items for the door prizes.
* A special thanks to The Times of Northwest Indiana (yeah, that would be me, so I need to give a shout-out of thanks to our general manager, Marji Ranes), which donated a Boston fall workshop registration to one lucky student raffle winner. The name that was pulled from the hat? None other than Michigan State's very own Carrie Hoover. You may remember Carrie as the winner of the first-ever SND competition of "The Intern" in Orlando last September. Carrie will be doing her internship at the San Jose Mercury News this summer -- a paper loaded with former Region 4 members like Matt Mansfield, Jonathon Berlin and Kevin Wendt (all Times of Northwest Indiana alums).

Finally, thanks to Cheryl Pell and Darcy Greene, the co-site chairs, for putting on another outstanding program. If you attended and want to send them a personal e-mail of thanks for their continued hard work in support of SND -- especially for students -- please do so with the e-mail links here. You can send a personal note of thanks to any of the speakers, as well. And thanks to MSU's student chapter for all of its hard work for the Society!

Thanks, Cheryl!
Thanks, Darcy!
Thanks, Chris!
Thanks, Josh!
Thanks, Karl!
Thanks, Jamila!
Thanks, Steve!

Thanks to everyone who attended. And those who couldn't make it? I promise you, the March 3 QC in Jacksonville, Fla., will be much warmer! And don't forget about May 5 in Minneapolis!

Dawn of a new graphics era at Detroit News

2007-02-08T03:15:00.000-06:00

Rick Epps, presentation editor at the Detroit News, passes on some pretty cool info on some happenings in the Motor City.

Rick reports that the News is entering into a new era of online graphic storytelling. The News recently brought Patrick Murphy on board. Patrick will apparently change allegiances from Reds to Tigers after leaving the Cincy Enquirer. But I'm assuming he's still a die-hard San Diego Padres fan; at least he was when I worked with him at The Times of Northwest Indiana. I'm not bragging, but it sure seems like just about EVERYONE goes through The Times of Northwest Indiana at one time or another, doesn't it?!?

Patrick started at the News last month and spends half of his week producing graphics for the print edition of the paper and the other half taking those same graphics and enhancing them for the News' Web site, detnews.com. He also works on some online-only graphics for the site.

And to add to that, News graphics editor Tim Summers was one of the attendees at the sold-out multimedia SND Quick Course at Ball State last week. Rick says Tim will still head up all the print graphics, but now that he's got two days worth of multimedia knowledge from the QC, he'll also be working on producing more online graphics.

Indeed, the News is moving in the direction that we all need to be moving in -- recognizing that we have a whole new segment of readers to concern ourselves with at our online sites.

So kudos to Rick Epps and the team at the News -- keep up the great work!

Congrats to Region 4 "Best of Sports Design 2006" finalists!

2007-02-08T01:28:00.000-06:00

The good folks over at SportsDesigner.com have announced the finalists for their inaugural "Best of Sports Design" competition.

I encourage all of you to not only make this site part of your daily industry reading, especially if you're a sports fan, but, of course, head on over and vote for your favorites!

Now, I must also pass out some early congratulations to the Region 4 folks who made the cut as finalists in the competition!

Special Section Covers
* Todd Bayha, Columbus Dispatch, football preview
* Emmet Smith, Cleveland Plain Dealer, NBA Playoff preview

Live Game Covers
* Scott Minister, Columbus Dispatch, Ohio State vs. Michigan

Infographics
* Todd Bayha and Steve Spencer, Columbus Dispatch, Ohio State uniform history
* Emmet Smith, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Len Barker's perfect game

Enterprise/Feature Centerpiece
* Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Face of the Olympics
* Emmet Smith, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Getting Inside The Boss' Head
* Emmet Smith, Cleveland Plain Dealer, D-compression

Photo Pages
* Todd Bayha, Columbus Dispatch, Michigan-Ohio State doubletruck
* Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, Ring Bling
* Todd Bayha, Columbus Dispatch, UM-OSU folo

Breaking News Covers
* Cindy Lacy, Detroit News, Steve Yzerman retires

Best College Sports Page
* Mark Koenig, Indiana Daily Student, Universlam 2006
* Mark Koenig, Indiana Daily Student, Taking Sides
* Mark Koenig, Indiana Daily Student, Old Oaken Bucket Game Preview

College Designer of the Year
Special congrats go out to Mark Koenig of Indiana University in Bloomington. This clearly rising superstar is one of three finalists for SportsDesigner.com's "College Designer of the Year" award! Mark's having a pretty good run of things -- he won a new laptop at the Casino Night fundraiser in Orlando, as I recall. And now he's up for this prestigious award at SD.com. Whoever snags this guy up can consider themselves pretty darn lucky!

Congratulations again to all our Region 4 finalists. And make sure you head over to SportsDesigner.com to check out all the great work that Rich Boudet and Josh Crutchmer do over there.

Region 4 Spotlight v 1.1

2007-02-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the first edition of a new feature called Region 4 Spotlight. Every week or so, we'll get introduced to a different Region 4 visual journalist through the always-popular Q&A format. And in doing so, we'll find out a little more about their work lives as well as their out-of-the-office lives. Take a couple of minutes and e-mail me your nominations today!

For Volume 1.1, we're talking to Phil Mahoney of Indy, who has done some really fantastic sports work at the Star in the last five years. I had the pleasure of working with Phil (and his awesome wife Phyllis) for three or so years at The Times of Northwest Indiana. As a sports designer, he's very seriously one of the great ones in this entire country. And in Indy, he gets to work with some consistently big-time stories like the Indy 500, Brickyard 400, the Pacers and some football team called the Colts with some dude named Peyton Manning.

I won't be having a former co-worker in the Spotlight every week. But for this first edition, I'm very proud for it to be Phil — a great designer, but an even greater guy. So without further ado ...

Phil Mahoney | Indianapolis Star

• Title: Sports Designer.

• Years at current paper: Approaching five.

• Papers previously worked for and in what capacity: The Albuquerque Journal –started as a Zones designer, then became a sports designer; sports designer at The Times of Northwest Indiana; did college internships at the Lexington Herald-Leader, the Baltimore Sun and the Bremerton (Wash.) Sun.

• College background: 1996 Syracuse University grad from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications.

• Family: My wife Phyllis, a copy editor at the Indy Star, whom I met when we worked together in Albuquerque. And on Feb 20, 2006 we added a daughter — Shannon.

• Pets: a 12 year-old Lab/mutt named Funny-dog.

• What's your single favorite accomplishment in your career?: Well, I'm still working on that one. I'll let you know how it turns out some day.

• What is your ultimate career goal?: Get out while I still can ... kidding. In all honesty, the landscape in newspapers is changing and so, too, are some of my goals and aspirations. We are moving to more digital forms of media and multiple formats of delivery, which I think will open up new avenues to master.

• What page or product are you most proud of producing?: Well, I get to do a lot of work for the Indy 500 and the stuff this past year I thought was strong. Indianapolis has a team in Super Bowl XLI, so with any luck I might be doing some of it right now.

• Favorite journalism-related movie: "Citizen Kane."

• Favorite overall movie: Duh — I live in Indiana. "Hoosiers," of course! But for real, it has to be "Caddyshack" — still the best golf movie ever made, although "Happy Gilmore" came close.

• You can have dinner with three designers and pick their brains. Who are they gonna be?: Vince Chiaramonte, The Buffalo News; Todd Bayha, Columbus Dispatch; Wayne Kamidoi, New York Times.

• What inspires you creatively?: I suppose it depends. Sometimes it's the environment, or people you meet, but I think a large portion is what I see and read in print or online. I don't have a list of favorites or anything — just whatever catches my eye at the time.

• You're stranded on a desert island and can only listen to music from five artists. Who are they?: Sting, Bill Evans, U2, Miles Davis and Paul Simon.

• What's your dream publication to work for and why?: I would love to design instruction manuals for Apple. But that would really just be so I could play with the toys before everybody else. Plus, I like the clean aesthetic.

• What are your hobbies outside of the business?: I used to play a lot of sports and travel, but now I basically chase after a 14-month-old all the time.

Congratulations to MSU's Cheryl Pell!

2007-01-30T07:24:00.000-06:00

Great news to share today!

Region 4's very own Cheryl Pell, senior faculty specialist in the journalism department at Michigan State University, will be inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame in April!

Aside has been a highly influential mentor for hundreds, if not thousands, of j-students through the years at MSU, and co-advises MSU's student chapter of SND with Darcy Greene. In fact, Cheryl is the founder of that incredibly successful student chapter.

If that's not enough, she's also the executive director of the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association; she received the 2006 Educator of the Year award from the Scholastic Journalism Division; the Medal of Merit from the Journalism Education Association; the Columbia Scholastic Press Association's James Frederick Paschal Award; the Pioneer Award from the Nationalal Scholastic Press Association; and MSU's Outstanding Teacher of the Year award in 2000 from the Journalism Student Advisory Council!

You can give Cheryl your personal congratulations at the MSU Quick Course on Feb. 9 -- it's not too late to get signed up! (See the previous posts for how to get that taken care of for a great visual journalism energy boost).

Thanks to Michigan State alum Randy Yeip of the Wall Street Journal for getting the initial news out there at VizEds.com

Region 4 News You Can Use

2007-01-27T10:04:00.000-06:00

* Don't forget about the East Lansing, Mich., Quick Course being put on by Cheryl Pell, Darcy Greene and the great folks up at Michigan State University. This one-day QC on Friday, Feb. 9, promises to recharge your visual batteries and give you some great tips to take back to your newsroom. Read more about it:
SND.org's Quick Course listing
Region 4 Blog Site's listing

* The Chicago Tribune recently restocked its talent pool in the Features department, bringing Nicole Dudka and Dmitry Tetin on board. Nicole stays in the Tribune family, coming over from the Hartford Courant, where she was doing plenty of award-winning work. Nicole is a Region 4 Collegian, as well, having started her visual journalism career at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind.! Dmitry honed his skills at the Art Institute of Chicago, doing some incredible work for the school's F Newsmagazine and he also interned at the Tribune's RedEye. Now he's on what is lovingly called "The Blue Side" doing some inspiring work. His Movies cover for "Stranger Than Fiction" is not to be missed. So check out both of their portfolios at Newspagedesigner.com for some inspiration. Congrats to both of them (and especially the Trib) on the big moves!

Nicole Dudka's Online Portfolio

Dmitry Tetin's Online Portfolio

* The SND competition is only a few weeks away. Hopefully all of you got your entries in on time. Are you a Region 4 member who will be attending the judging as a facilitator? I know for a fact there are a few of you out there. And hey, Region 4's very own Kris Kinkade of the Kalamazoo Gazette is the 28th Edition Competition Coordinator! That gives Region 4 three of the last four Coordinators (Christine McNeal, 25th Edition; Matt Erickson, 27th Edition; Kinkade, 28th Edition)! But if you're going to be there as a facilitator, or even as a judge (talk to me when we get there, as only a small handful of people know who the judges are), I'd love to hear from you post-judging to tell the rest of Region 4 about your experiences in Syracuse.

* Super Bowl XLI is only 8 days away. For me, it's going to be one of the greatest days of my life if my beloved Bears win. I was lucky enough to get into the NFC Championship game at Soldier Field to see the Bears blow out the Saints, and it was one of the coolest things I've ever been a part of. Unfortunately, unless my wife has a last-minute change of heart and lets me spend $5,000 on a ticket, I won't be in Miami. But the good news is, that means I can be here to collect all of your cool Super Bowl preview pages, section covers and Super Bowl follow-up coverage to share with all of Region 4 in one big slideshow in one place. And hey -- is your paper doing something unique or cool for your readers? Poster pages? T-shirts? Special collectibles? Let me know what your promotions and marketing departments have come up with, as well as the cool things the newsroom is doing! (If you're competitive, it can wait until after the Super Bowl, of course).

That's it for now. Send your news my way at matterickson23@gmail.com

Looking for people to put in the "Spotlight"!

2007-01-27T09:56:00.000-06:00

I'm on the lookout for some visual journalists in Region 4 that we all should get to know a little bit better.

This is for a new "Region 4 Spotlight" Q&A-style weekly feature I want to do for the site. It'll introduce all of us to someone in our Region whom we might not already know. We'll find out all kinds of stuff about their career accomplishments and ambitions, but we'll also find out about them outside of the newspaper world. And I promise, I will try to not go all Barbara Walters on everyone and ask, "If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?" (According to some crazy Web site, I'd be a "hornbeam tree," by the way).

Do you know someone who should be in the Spotlight? Send me their names and e-mail addresses. If they're SND members, fantastic. If they're NOT SND members, that's OK, too. It'll give me a chance to use my powers of persuasion to explain to them why becoming a member could be the best thing they do for their design careers.

So let me hear from you!

Welcome to the new Region 4 site!

2007-01-22T10:45:00.000-06:00

Hello, SND Region 4 members, and welcome to a brand new site just for you.

What is "Region 4"? Simply put, it's YOU -- the members living in the "Lakes" Region of the Society, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.

This blog site will give me, as Region 4 Director, the opportunity to share news with both members and non-members alike on goings-on in the Society for News Design. It will let all of us engage in discussions about some of the incredible work that is being done right here in our Region -- some of the best newspaper design in the entire world is happening right here! And it's not all work and no play. We'll also have some fun along the way and hand out some prizes!

But I can't do this alone. As Region 4 Director, I am your voice on SND's Board of Directors. I need your feedback on how you can get more out of your membership and how SND can better serve you and your career. I need your feedback on what's happening at your papers and the great work being done there. This site can be as big as you want it to be, but it all depends on you. So start e-mailing and start contributing. Together, we'll turn this into another great resource for all of us.